# CVE-2026-98795: net: sparx5: skip ptp deinit if init was skipped

> Unbinding the Sparx5 network driver on specific LAN969x variants causes a kernel NULL pointer dereference, leading to a system crash.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 18 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-108662, BELL-CVE-2026-98795, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98795, GHSA-9hv5-vqfc-jqjg, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98795

## What is CVE-2026-98795?

CVE-2026-98795 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 2026. 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: sparx5: skip ptp deinit if init was skipped

sparx5_ptp_init() returns early on the base lan969x variants
because they do not have the SPX5_FEATURE_PTP flag. It also returns early
when no "ptp" interrupt is described. Unbinding the driver then causes a
NULL pointer dereference when cleaning up uninitialized tx_skbs queues:

    Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address
    0000000000000008
    Call trace:
    skb_queue_purge_reason+0x68/0x120 (P)
    sparx5_ptp_deinit+0x64/0xc0
    mchp_sparx5_remove+0x38/0x70
    platform_remove+0x20/0x30
    device_remove+0x4c/0x80

Before per-port tx_skbs were added, a NULL dereference would have happened
when calling ptp_clock_unregister() on the never-registered PTP clocks.

Fix by returning early in sparx5_ptp_deinit() if PTP is not used.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98795?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98795?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98795 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98795 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98795 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98795 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 2026. 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-2026-98795 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-98795/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98795/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98795
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98795
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98795

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98795/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.