---
id: CVE-2026-98796
title: >-
  kernel: net: ethernet: mtk_eth_soc: allocate dummy netdev sooner
  (CVE-2026-98796)
summary: >-
  A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's MediaTek Ethernet driver. This
  vulnerability allows a local user with network administration privileges to
  cause a Denial of Service (DoS) through a kernel crash. Due to an ordering
  issue during devic…
severity: medium
cvss: 4.1
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe: CWE-476
vendor: Red Hat
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 656e705243fd0c2864b89634ea16ed444ef64dc6 <
    efc91ab1d97bd991faf50baa0ead35029f341eb9
  - >-
    Linux >= 656e705243fd0c2864b89634ea16ed444ef64dc6 <
    42001839e425b2564b7297be579073a13a8fddf6
  - >-
    Linux >= 656e705243fd0c2864b89634ea16ed444ef64dc6 <
    82be3d08de9e14d5aed72377f051adb4f09fd540
  - >-
    Linux >= 656e705243fd0c2864b89634ea16ed444ef64dc6 <
    17eafd74de5a31e30361420a2e3ebf64186b77e5
  - >-
    Linux >= 656e705243fd0c2864b89634ea16ed444ef64dc6 <
    6f0c2c4f5e7143eba75153ecc8af3a03f7b6a98b
  - Linux 4.6
published: '2026-10-18'
updated: '2026-10-23'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-23T15:35:32+00:00'
source: CSAF
sourceUrl: 'https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98796.json'
references:
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98796.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-98796'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2555046'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98796'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98796'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98796.mbox
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/efc91ab1d97bd991faf50baa0ead35029f341eb9'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/42001839e425b2564b7297be579073a13a8fddf6'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/82be3d08de9e14d5aed72377f051adb4f09fd540'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17eafd74de5a31e30361420a2e3ebf64186b77e5'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6f0c2c4f5e7143eba75153ecc8af3a03f7b6a98b'
tags:
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00168
epssPercentile: 0.05991
ingestedAt: '2026-10-18T16:47:32.484Z'
---

## Overview

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's MediaTek Ethernet driver. This vulnerability allows a local user with network administration privileges to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) through a kernel crash. Due to an ordering issue during device initialization, the network interface is registered and exposed to the operating system before its internal dummy device structures are allocated. Activating the network interface during this timing window leads to a null pointer dereference, crashing the system.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · updated 2026-10-23 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-98796.json)

**kernel: net: ethernet: mtk_eth_soc: allocate dummy netdev sooner** — rated Moderate by Red Hat. Released 2026-10-18, updated 2026-10-23.

Not affected:

- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4

## Remediation

Refer to the advisory for fix availability.