NULL Pointer Dereference in Hisilicon Driver for Linux Kernel

CVE-2026-99200

What is CVE-2026-99200?

A vulnerability in the Hisilicon driver of the Linux kernel has been identified, where improper order of operations during the PHY connection phase leads to a NULL pointer dereference. Specifically, when CONFIG_NET_SHAPER is enabled, the method hisi_femac_drv_probe() connects the PHY before assigning dev->netdev_ops. This results in a crash due to the attempt to read the netdev_ops, causing a kernel panic and disrupting system operations. To mitigate this issue, it is essential to assign netdev_ops prior to the PHY attachment, following the corrective measures outlined in previous kernel commits.

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