Vulnerability-Lookup

GHSA-446V-VM34-72R6

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-01-13 18:31 – Updated: 2026-01-13 18:31

Details

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

net/mlx5: fw_tracer, 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 mlx5_tracer_validate_params() 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 "BAD_FORMAT: " prefix.

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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2025-68816"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-01-13T16:16:03Z",
    "severity": null
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet/mlx5: fw_tracer, Validate format string parameters\n\nAdd validation for format string parameters in the firmware tracer to\nprevent potential security vulnerabilities and crashes from malformed\nformat strings received from firmware.\n\nThe firmware tracer receives format strings from the device firmware and\nuses them to format trace messages. Without proper validation, bad\nfirmware could provide format strings with invalid format specifiers\n(e.g., %s, %p, %n) that could lead to crashes, or other undefined\nbehavior.\n\nAdd mlx5_tracer_validate_params() to validate that all format specifiers\nin trace strings are limited to safe integer/hex formats (%x, %d, %i,\n%u, %llx, %lx, etc.). Reject strings containing other format types that\ncould be used to access arbitrary memory or cause crashes.\nInvalid format strings are added to the trace output for visibility with\n\"BAD_FORMAT: \" prefix.",
  "id": "GHSA-446v-vm34-72r6",
  "modified": "2026-01-13T18:31:04Z",
  "published": "2026-01-13T18:31:04Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68816"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38ac688b52ef26a88f8bc4fe26d24fdd0ff91e5d"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bd283b1d69e2c97cddcb9956f0e0261fc4efd7"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ac688c0e430dab19f6a9b70df94b1f635612c1a"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c35c2448086870509ede43947845be0833251f0"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b35966042d20b14e2d83330049f77deec5229749"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": []
}

CVE-2025-68816 (GCVE-0-2025-68816)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-01-13 15:29 – Updated: 2026-01-13 15:29

Title

net/mlx5: fw_tracer, Validate format string parameters

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: fw_tracer, 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 mlx5_tracer_validate_params() 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 "BAD_FORMAT: " prefix.

Severity ?

No CVSS data available.

Assigner

Linux

References

URL

Tags

	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38ac688b52ef26a88…
	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8ac688c0e430dab19…
	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45bd283b1d69e2c97…
	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c35c244808687050…
	https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b35966042d20b14e2…

Impacted products

Vendor

Product

Version

Linux

Affected: 70dd6fdb8987b14f7b6105f6be0617299e459398 , < 38ac688b52ef26a88f8bc4fe26d24fdd0ff91e5d (git)
Affected: 70dd6fdb8987b14f7b6105f6be0617299e459398 , < 8ac688c0e430dab19f6a9b70df94b1f635612c1a (git)
Affected: 70dd6fdb8987b14f7b6105f6be0617299e459398 , < 45bd283b1d69e2c97cddcb9956f0e0261fc4efd7 (git)
Affected: 70dd6fdb8987b14f7b6105f6be0617299e459398 , < 8c35c2448086870509ede43947845be0833251f0 (git)
Affected: 70dd6fdb8987b14f7b6105f6be0617299e459398 , < b35966042d20b14e2d83330049f77deec5229749 (git)

Linux

Affected: 4.19
Unaffected: 0 , < 4.19 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.1.160 , ≤ 6.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.6.120 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.12.64 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.3 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 6.19-rc2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)

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JSON

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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fw_tracer.c",
            "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fw_tracer.h"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
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              "versionType": "git"
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              "versionType": "git"
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              "versionType": "git"
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          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fw_tracer.c",
            "drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/diag/fw_tracer.h"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
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              "version": "4.19"
            },
            {
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              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
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              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.1.160",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6.120",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.64",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.18.3",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.19-rc2",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
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        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
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              "operator": "OR"
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          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnet/mlx5: fw_tracer, Validate format string parameters\n\nAdd validation for format string parameters in the firmware tracer to\nprevent potential security vulnerabilities and crashes from malformed\nformat strings received from firmware.\n\nThe firmware tracer receives format strings from the device firmware and\nuses them to format trace messages. Without proper validation, bad\nfirmware could provide format strings with invalid format specifiers\n(e.g., %s, %p, %n) that could lead to crashes, or other undefined\nbehavior.\n\nAdd mlx5_tracer_validate_params() to validate that all format specifiers\nin trace strings are limited to safe integer/hex formats (%x, %d, %i,\n%u, %llx, %lx, etc.). Reject strings containing other format types that\ncould be used to access arbitrary memory or cause crashes.\nInvalid format strings are added to the trace output for visibility with\n\"BAD_FORMAT: \" prefix."
        }
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      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-01-13T15:29:20.464Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/38ac688b52ef26a88f8bc4fe26d24fdd0ff91e5d"
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        {
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        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b35966042d20b14e2d83330049f77deec5229749"
        }
      ],
      "title": "net/mlx5: fw_tracer, Validate format string parameters",
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    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2025-68816",
    "datePublished": "2026-01-13T15:29:20.464Z",
    "dateReserved": "2025-12-24T10:30:51.047Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-01-13T15:29:20.464Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
  "dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

Action not permitted

GHSA-446V-VM34-72R6

CVE-2025-68816 (GCVE-0-2025-68816)

Tags

Sightings

Nomenclature