CVE-2025-71236
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's qla2xxx driver. This vulnerability, a NULL pointer dereference, occurs during fabric asynchronous scan cleanup when the qla_fab_async_scan function attempts to free memory associated with a NULL pointer. A local user may be able to indirectly trigger this flaw through device discovery and I/O (Input/Output) workloads, leading to a kernel crash and a denial of service (DoS). There is also a conservative worst-case consideration for potential memory corruption.
Statement
A NULL pointer dereference can occur in the qla2xxx driver during fabric async scan cleanup because qla_fab_async_scan may reach the done_free_sp path with sp set to NULL and then dereference sp fields and call kref_put. This leads to a kernel crash and denial of service that can be triggered by error handling paths during fabric discovery and reset related workflows. For the CVSS the PR is L because a local user may be able to influence device discovery and IO workloads indirectly, but in many environments the trigger is more dependent on hardware and SAN events than on direct unprivileged actions. The issue is not inherently network reachable from a typical IP network perspective. Impact is denial of service via kernel crash. A conservative worst case also considers potential memory corruption impact because the failure occurs in kernel driver cleanup paths.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.8 | 5.5 | 7.5 |
| Attack Vector | Local | Local | Network |
| Attack Complexity | High | Low | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | Low | None |
| User Interaction | None | None | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | Unchanged | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | Low | None | None |
| Integrity Impact | Low | None | None |
| Availability Impact | High | High | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:L/A:H
NVD: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
NULL pointer dereferences usually result in the failure of the process unless exception handling (on some platforms) is available and implemented. Even when exception handling is being used, it can still be very difficult to return the software to a safe state of operation.
Integrity,Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Read Memory; Modify Memory
In rare circumstances, when NULL is equivalent to the 0x0 memory address and privileged code can access it, then writing or reading memory is possible, which may lead to code execution.
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