---
id: CVE-2025-39973
title: 'i40e: add validation for ring_len param'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  i40e: add validation for ring_len param

  The `ring_len` parameter provided by the virtual function (VF)
  is assigned directly to the hardware memory context (HMC) withou…
severity: high
cvss: 8.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    0543d40d6513cdf1c7882811086e59a6455dfe97
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    7d749e38dd2b7e8a80da2ca30c93e09de95bfcf9
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    45a7527cd7da4cdcf3b06b5c0cb1cae30b5a5985
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    d3b0d3f8d11fa957171fbb186e53998361a88d4e
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    c0c83f4cd074b75cecef107bfc349be7d516c9c4
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    05fe81fb9db20464fa532a3835dc8300d68a2f84
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    afec12adab55d10708179a64d95d650741e60fe0
  - >-
    Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd <
    55d225670def06b01af2e7a5e0446fbe946289e8
  - Linux 3.12
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-15T21:55:35.462344Z'
published: '2025-10-15'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T22:02:34.963Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-39973'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0543d40d6513cdf1c7882811086e59a6455dfe97'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d749e38dd2b7e8a80da2ca30c93e09de95bfcf9'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45a7527cd7da4cdcf3b06b5c0cb1cae30b5a5985'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d3b0d3f8d11fa957171fbb186e53998361a88d4e'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0c83f4cd074b75cecef107bfc349be7d516c9c4'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/05fe81fb9db20464fa532a3835dc8300d68a2f84'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/afec12adab55d10708179a64d95d650741e60fe0'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55d225670def06b01af2e7a5e0446fbe946289e8'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00154
epssPercentile: 0.04521
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T22:48:25.534Z'
---

## Overview

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

i40e: add validation for ring_len param

The `ring_len` parameter provided by the virtual function (VF)
is assigned directly to the hardware memory context (HMC) without
any validation.

To address this, introduce an upper boundary check for both Tx and Rx
queue lengths. The maximum number of descriptors supported by the
hardware is 8k-32.
Additionally, enforce alignment constraints: Tx rings must be a multiple
of 8, and Rx rings must be a multiple of 32.

## Affected

- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < 0543d40d6513cdf1c7882811086e59a6455dfe97`
- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < 7d749e38dd2b7e8a80da2ca30c93e09de95bfcf9`
- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < 45a7527cd7da4cdcf3b06b5c0cb1cae30b5a5985`
- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < d3b0d3f8d11fa957171fbb186e53998361a88d4e`
- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < c0c83f4cd074b75cecef107bfc349be7d516c9c4`
- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < 05fe81fb9db20464fa532a3835dc8300d68a2f84`
- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < afec12adab55d10708179a64d95d650741e60fe0`
- `Linux >= 5c3c48ac6bf56367c4e89f6453cd2d61e50375bd < 55d225670def06b01af2e7a5e0446fbe946289e8`
- `Linux 3.12`

## Remediation

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