# CVE-2024-26587: net: netdevsim: don't try to destroy PHC on VFs

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel netdevsim driver causes a crash when destroying VFs, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 22 Feb 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-35906, BELL-CVE-2024-26587, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-26587, GHSA-vmpq-wpxg-r7rp, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-26587

## What is CVE-2024-26587?

CVE-2024-26587 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

net: netdevsim: don't try to destroy PHC on VFs

PHC gets initialized in nsim_init_netdevsim(), which
is only called if (nsim_dev_port_is_pf()).

Create a counterpart of nsim_init_netdevsim() and
move the mock_phc_destroy() there.

This fixes a crash trying to destroy netdevsim with
VFs instantiated, as caught by running the devlink.sh test:

    BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000000b8
    RIP: 0010:mock_phc_destroy+0xd/0x30
    Call Trace:
     <TASK>
     nsim_destroy+0x4a/0x70 [netdevsim]
     __nsim_dev_port_del+0x47/0x70 [netdevsim]
     nsim_dev_reload_destroy+0x105/0x120 [netdevsim]
     nsim_drv_remove+0x2f/0xb0 [netdevsim]
     device_release_driver_internal+0x1a1/0x210
     bus_remove_device+0xd5/0x120
     device_del+0x159/0x490
     device_unregister+0x12/0x30
     del_device_store+0x11a/0x1a0 [netdevsim]
     kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x130/0x1d0
     vfs_write+0x30b/0x4b0
     ksys_write+0x69/0xf0
     do_syscall_64+0xcc/0x1e0
     entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6f/0x77

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-26587?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-26587?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-26587 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26587 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-26587 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-26587 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26587 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26587/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26587/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-26587
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-26587
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-26587

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26587/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.