Index: /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c
===================================================================
--- /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c	(revision 38062)
+++ /trunk/src/VBox/HostDrivers/VBoxNetFlt/linux/VBoxNetFlt-linux.c	(revision 38063)
@@ -959,11 +959,11 @@
     RTSPINLOCKTMP               Tmp = RTSPINLOCKTMP_INITIALIZER;
 
+    /* Cancel override if ethtool_ops is missing (host-only case, #5712) */
+    if (!VALID_PTR(pDev->OVR_OPS))
+        return;
     pOverride = RTMemAlloc(sizeof(*pOverride));
     if (!pOverride)
         return;
     pOverride->pOrgOps              = pDev->OVR_OPS;
-    /* Cancel override if ethtool_ops is missing (host-only case, #5712) */
-    if (!VALID_PTR(pDev->OVR_OPS))
-        return;
     pOverride->Ops                  = *pDev->OVR_OPS;
 # if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(2, 6, 29)