CVE-2026-80992: net: ravb: avoid dereferencing an invalid PTP clock
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: ravb: avoid dereferencing an invalid PTP clock
The PTP clock is unavailable before the first open, so querying its index can dereference a NULL pointer. Registration failures can also leave an error pointer in priv->ptp.clock.
Cache the PHC index separately and report -1 while no clock is registered. Normalize registration errors to NULL and preserve the static timestamping capabilities.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What systems are exposed to this issue?
Systems using the Linux kernel ravb network driver are exposed when software queries the PTP hardware clock index before the interface has been opened, or after PTP clock registration fails.
What does an attacker or triggering condition require?
The issue is triggered by querying the PTP clock index while no valid PTP clock is registered. The provided information does not identify any remote attack vector or authentication requirement.
What can be done if the fix cannot be applied immediately?
Avoid querying the ravb interface's PTP clock index until after the interface has been opened and a PTP clock is registered. Handle unavailable clock state as no registered clock rather than dereferencing the clock pointer.
How can administrators identify a potentially affected state?
A potentially affected state exists if the ravb interface has not yet been opened, or if its PTP clock registration failed, and PTP clock index information is queried. The corrected behavior reports an index of -1 while no clock is registered.