CVE-2025-68816: net/mlx5: fw_tracer, Validate format string parameters

Published Jan 13, 2026
·
Updated

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

net/mlx5: fwtracer, Validate format string parameters

Add validation for format string parameters in the firmware tracer to prevent potential security vulnerabilities and crashes from malformed format strings received from firmware.

The firmware tracer receives format strings from the device firmware and uses them to format trace messages. Without proper validation, bad firmware could provide format strings with invalid format specifiers (e.g., %s, %p, %n) that could lead to crashes, or other undefined behavior.

Add mlx5tracervalidateparams() to validate that all format specifiers in trace strings are limited to safe integer/hex formats (%x, %d, %i, %u, %llx, %lx, etc.). Reject strings containing other format types that could be used to access arbitrary memory or cause crashes. Invalid format strings are added to the trace output for visibility with "BADFORMAT: " prefix.

Affected Software

3 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel
Microsoft azl3 kernel 6.6.119.3-3
debian/linux
6.1.176-16.1.190-16.12.107-16.12.115-27.2.12-17.2.15-1

Remediation

Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.

  1. Upgrade

    Upgrade debian/linux to a version that resolves this vulnerability.

    Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.190-1Fixed in 6.12.107-1Fixed in 6.12.113-1Fixed in 7.2.12-1Fixed in 7.2.13-1

Event History

Jan 13, 2026
CVE Published
via MITRE·03:29 PM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·03:29 PM
Description
Data Sourced
via NVD·04:16 PM
DescriptionWeakness
Jan 15, 2026
Data Sourced
via Microsoft·09:05 AM
DescriptionSeverityWeaknessAffected Software

Parent advisories

This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.

Peer vulnerabilities

Found alongside the following vulnerabilities.

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2025-68816?

CVE-2025-68816 has been classified with a high severity due to potential security vulnerabilities related to format string parameters.

2

How do I fix CVE-2025-68816?

To fix CVE-2025-68816, ensure that you apply the latest kernel updates that include the validation for format string parameters in the firmware tracer.

3

What systems are affected by CVE-2025-68816?

CVE-2025-68816 affects various versions of the Linux kernel used in different Linux distributions.

4

What impact does CVE-2025-68816 have if exploited?

If exploited, CVE-2025-68816 could lead to potential information disclosure or arbitrary code execution in the Linux kernel.

5

Is CVE-2025-68816 a zero-day vulnerability?

No, CVE-2025-68816 is not a zero-day vulnerability as it has already been identified and patched.

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