diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
index 337e4cd70a13f47050ad09f851e431de53b09e7c..597c463e384d0d5d9fb0f46a9b363e9c9165c6cf 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/emulex/benet/be_main.c
@@ -4309,6 +4309,8 @@ static int be_ndo_bridge_setlink(struct net_device *dev, struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
 	br_spec = nlmsg_find_attr(nlh, sizeof(struct ifinfomsg), IFLA_AF_SPEC);
+	if (!br_spec)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	nla_for_each_nested(attr, br_spec, rem) {
 		if (nla_type(attr) != IFLA_BRIDGE_MODE)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
index dff9905331baec40907aef3760d33230a217b8da..cc51554c9e99a49e74c24ab7bf8f97848a06d7a3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/intel/ixgbe/ixgbe_main.c
@@ -7669,6 +7669,8 @@ static int ixgbe_ndo_bridge_setlink(struct net_device *dev,
 		return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 
 	br_spec = nlmsg_find_attr(nlh, sizeof(struct ifinfomsg), IFLA_AF_SPEC);
+	if (!br_spec)
+		return -EINVAL;
 
 	nla_for_each_nested(attr, br_spec, rem) {
 		__u16 mode;