The airoha network driver in the Linux kernel lacks a NULL check around the result of of_reserved_mem_lookup(). When a device tree memory-region phandle does not correspond to a reserved memory entry, the function returns NULL. The subsequent code dereferences the pointer, which causes a kernel NULL pointer dereference during driver initialization. A NULL pointer dereference in the kernel results in a panic and brings the entire system down, effectively a denial-of-service.

All Linux kernel versions that include the airoha QDMA driver and do not yet incorporate the NULL-check patch are affected. Any system that uses a device tree entry for an airoha network interface with a memory-region phandle that could be missing or misconfigured is at risk. The CVE does not provide a list of specific kernel releases, but the vulnerability applies to any configuration that falls under the described conditions.

The EPSS score is less than 1%, indicating a very low predicted exploitation probability, and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA's KEV catalog. No CVSS score is published. The likely attack vector is modification of the device tree or firmware to reference a non-existent memory region, inferred from the description. Exploitation would require the attacker to alter the device tree configuration or use hardware that presents an incorrect memory-region phandle, which is generally difficult outside of a physical or privileged context. Consequently, the risk remains low for systems where the device tree cannot be modified.