---
id: CVE-2026-23258
title: 'net: liquidio: Initialize netdev pointer before queue setup'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  net: liquidio: Initialize netdev pointer before queue setup

  In setup_nic_devices(), the netdev is allocated using alloc_etherdev_mq().
  However, the pointer to this str…
severity: none
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c <
    be109646cdaecab262f6276303b1763468c94378
  - >-
    Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c <
    c81a8515fb8c8fb5d0dbc21f48337494bf1d60df
  - >-
    Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c <
    a0e57c0b68c9e6f9a8fd7c1167861a5a730eb2f4
  - >-
    Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c <
    c0ed6c77ec34050971fd0df2a94dfdea66d09331
  - >-
    Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c <
    1d4590fde856cb94bd9a46e795c29d8288c238fc
  - >-
    Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c <
    d028147ae06407cb355245db1774793600670169
  - >-
    Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c <
    926ede0c85e1e57c97d64d9612455267d597bb2c
  - Linux 4.18
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2026-11-05T21:24:00.119604Z'
published: '2026-03-18'
updated: '2026-11-05'
sourceUpdated: '2026-11-05T21:33:33.848Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23258'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/be109646cdaecab262f6276303b1763468c94378'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c81a8515fb8c8fb5d0dbc21f48337494bf1d60df'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a0e57c0b68c9e6f9a8fd7c1167861a5a730eb2f4'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c0ed6c77ec34050971fd0df2a94dfdea66d09331'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1d4590fde856cb94bd9a46e795c29d8288c238fc'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d028147ae06407cb355245db1774793600670169'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/926ede0c85e1e57c97d64d9612455267d597bb2c'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00121
epssPercentile: 0.01939
ingestedAt: '2026-11-05T22:38:32.105Z'
---

## Overview

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

net: liquidio: Initialize netdev pointer before queue setup

In setup_nic_devices(), the netdev is allocated using alloc_etherdev_mq().
However, the pointer to this structure is stored in oct->props[i].netdev
only after the calls to netif_set_real_num_rx_queues() and
netif_set_real_num_tx_queues().

If either of these functions fails, setup_nic_devices() returns an error
without freeing the allocated netdev. Since oct->props[i].netdev is still
NULL at this point, the cleanup function liquidio_destroy_nic_device()
will fail to find and free the netdev, resulting in a memory leak.

Fix this by initializing oct->props[i].netdev before calling the queue
setup functions. This ensures that the netdev is properly accessible for
cleanup in case of errors.

Compile tested only. Issue found using a prototype static analysis tool
and code review.

## Affected

- `Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c < be109646cdaecab262f6276303b1763468c94378`
- `Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c < c81a8515fb8c8fb5d0dbc21f48337494bf1d60df`
- `Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c < a0e57c0b68c9e6f9a8fd7c1167861a5a730eb2f4`
- `Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c < c0ed6c77ec34050971fd0df2a94dfdea66d09331`
- `Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c < 1d4590fde856cb94bd9a46e795c29d8288c238fc`
- `Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c < d028147ae06407cb355245db1774793600670169`
- `Linux >= c33c997346c34ea7b89aec99524ad9632a2f1e0c < 926ede0c85e1e57c97d64d9612455267d597bb2c`
- `Linux 4.18`

## Remediation

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