---
id: CVE-2025-39853
title: 'i40e: Fix potential invalid access when MAC list is empty'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  i40e: Fix potential invalid access when MAC list is empty

  list_first_entry() never returns NULL - if the list is empty, it still
  returns a pointer to an invalid object…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    971feafe157afac443027acdc235badc6838560b
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    3c6fb929afa313d9d11f780451d113f73922fe5d
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    1eadabcf5623f1237a539b16586b4ed8ac8dffcd
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    e2a5e74879f9b494bbd66fa93f355feacde450c7
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    fb216d980fae6561c7c70af8ef826faf059c6515
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    66e7cdbda74ee823ec2bf7b830ebd235c54f5ddf
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    9c21fc4cebd44dd21016c61261a683af390343f8
  - >-
    Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 <
    a556f06338e1d5a85af0e32ecb46e365547f92b9
  - Linux 4.6
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T21:12:39.658604Z'
published: '2025-09-19'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T21:13:00.313Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-39853'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/971feafe157afac443027acdc235badc6838560b'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c6fb929afa313d9d11f780451d113f73922fe5d'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1eadabcf5623f1237a539b16586b4ed8ac8dffcd'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2a5e74879f9b494bbd66fa93f355feacde450c7'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fb216d980fae6561c7c70af8ef826faf059c6515'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/66e7cdbda74ee823ec2bf7b830ebd235c54f5ddf'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9c21fc4cebd44dd21016c61261a683af390343f8'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a556f06338e1d5a85af0e32ecb46e365547f92b9'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00167
epssPercentile: 0.06014
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:32.034Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

i40e: Fix potential invalid access when MAC list is empty

list_first_entry() never returns NULL - if the list is empty, it still
returns a pointer to an invalid object, leading to potential invalid
memory access when dereferenced.

Fix this by using list_first_entry_or_null instead of list_first_entry.

## Affected

- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < 971feafe157afac443027acdc235badc6838560b`
- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < 3c6fb929afa313d9d11f780451d113f73922fe5d`
- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < 1eadabcf5623f1237a539b16586b4ed8ac8dffcd`
- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < e2a5e74879f9b494bbd66fa93f355feacde450c7`
- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < fb216d980fae6561c7c70af8ef826faf059c6515`
- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < 66e7cdbda74ee823ec2bf7b830ebd235c54f5ddf`
- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < 9c21fc4cebd44dd21016c61261a683af390343f8`
- `Linux >= e3219ce6a775468368fb270fae3eb82a6787b436 < a556f06338e1d5a85af0e32ecb46e365547f92b9`
- `Linux 4.6`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.