Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: phylink: record the PHY only once bringup cannot fail
phylink_bringup_phy() stores the PHY in pl->phydev before its last
fallible step: on a MAC whose phylink ops implement LPI,
phy_eee_rx_clock_stop() can fail with a real MDIO error. The callers
unwind with phy_detach(), which knows nothing about pl->phydev, so a
pointer to a PHY that is no longer attached outlives the failed
connect.
What that costs depends on how the caller got here.
phylink_connect_phy() goes through phylink_attach_phy(), which refuses
to attach while pl->phydev is set, turning a transient MDIO error into
a permanent -EBUSY. The SFP path is worse than that: sfp_sm_probe_phy()
answers the failure with phy_device_remove() and phy_device_free(), and
it assigns sfp->mod_phy only past that error return, so nothing clears
pl->phydev and it is left pointing at a freed phy_device that
phylink_resolve() and the ethtool helpers go on reading.
phylink_fwnode_phy_connect() has no such check, so a later connect
overwrites the stale pointer and hides the problem. A disconnect does
not: phylink_disconnect_phy() hands that pointer to phy_disconnect(),
and the second phy_detach() on the same PHY drops references the first
one already released.
Found while making a DSA port survive a PHY whose driver arrives after
the switch probes: keeping the port across a failed connect and
retrying is what makes this window reachable.
Publish the pointer after the last call that can fail instead of
unwinding it afterwards. Nothing between the two points reads
pl->phydev, and the registration that follows cannot fail:
phy_request_interrupt() falls back to polling on its own. The PHY-side
state keeps the order it had, so no MDIO operation moves relative to
another.
net: phylink: record the PHY only once bringup cannot fail
phylink_bringup_phy() stores the PHY in pl->phydev before its last
fallible step: on a MAC whose phylink ops implement LPI,
phy_eee_rx_clock_stop() can fail with a real MDIO error. The callers
unwind with phy_detach(), which knows nothing about pl->phydev, so a
pointer to a PHY that is no longer attached outlives the failed
connect.
What that costs depends on how the caller got here.
phylink_connect_phy() goes through phylink_attach_phy(), which refuses
to attach while pl->phydev is set, turning a transient MDIO error into
a permanent -EBUSY. The SFP path is worse than that: sfp_sm_probe_phy()
answers the failure with phy_device_remove() and phy_device_free(), and
it assigns sfp->mod_phy only past that error return, so nothing clears
pl->phydev and it is left pointing at a freed phy_device that
phylink_resolve() and the ethtool helpers go on reading.
phylink_fwnode_phy_connect() has no such check, so a later connect
overwrites the stale pointer and hides the problem. A disconnect does
not: phylink_disconnect_phy() hands that pointer to phy_disconnect(),
and the second phy_detach() on the same PHY drops references the first
one already released.
Found while making a DSA port survive a PHY whose driver arrives after
the switch probes: keeping the port across a failed connect and
retrying is what makes this window reachable.
Publish the pointer after the last call that can fail instead of
unwinding it afterwards. Nothing between the two points reads
pl->phydev, and the registration that follows cannot fail:
phy_request_interrupt() falls back to polling on its own. The PHY-side
state keeps the order it had, so no MDIO operation moves relative to
another.
Published:
2026-10-18
Score:
n/a
EPSS:
n/a
KEV:
No
Impact:
n/a
Action:
n/a
Analysis
Analysis and contextual insights are available on OpenCVE Cloud.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
||||||||||||||||||
| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
No data.
No data.
No data available yet.
Remediation
No vendor fix or workaround currently provided.
Additional remediation guidance may be available on OpenCVE Cloud.
Tracking
Sign in to view the affected projects.
Advisories
No advisories yet.
References
History
Sun, 18 Oct 2026 15:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: phylink: record the PHY only once bringup cannot fail phylink_bringup_phy() stores the PHY in pl->phydev before its last fallible step: on a MAC whose phylink ops implement LPI, phy_eee_rx_clock_stop() can fail with a real MDIO error. The callers unwind with phy_detach(), which knows nothing about pl->phydev, so a pointer to a PHY that is no longer attached outlives the failed connect. What that costs depends on how the caller got here. phylink_connect_phy() goes through phylink_attach_phy(), which refuses to attach while pl->phydev is set, turning a transient MDIO error into a permanent -EBUSY. The SFP path is worse than that: sfp_sm_probe_phy() answers the failure with phy_device_remove() and phy_device_free(), and it assigns sfp->mod_phy only past that error return, so nothing clears pl->phydev and it is left pointing at a freed phy_device that phylink_resolve() and the ethtool helpers go on reading. phylink_fwnode_phy_connect() has no such check, so a later connect overwrites the stale pointer and hides the problem. A disconnect does not: phylink_disconnect_phy() hands that pointer to phy_disconnect(), and the second phy_detach() on the same PHY drops references the first one already released. Found while making a DSA port survive a PHY whose driver arrives after the switch probes: keeping the port across a failed connect and retrying is what makes this window reachable. Publish the pointer after the last call that can fail instead of unwinding it afterwards. Nothing between the two points reads pl->phydev, and the registration that follows cannot fail: phy_request_interrupt() falls back to polling on its own. The PHY-side state keeps the order it had, so no MDIO operation moves relative to another. | |
| Title | net: phylink: record the PHY only once bringup cannot fail | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-10-18T15:18:30.158Z
Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:25:14.357Z
Link: CVE-2026-98563
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-10-18T16:17:08.443
Modified: 2026-10-18T16:17:08.443
Link: CVE-2026-98563
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.