--- sys/dev/ixl/if_ixl.c.orig
+++ sys/dev/ixl/if_ixl.c
@@ -1625,12 +1625,30 @@
 	struct ifdrv *ifd = (struct ifdrv *)data;
 	int error = 0;
 
-	/* NVM update command */
-	if (ifd->ifd_cmd == I40E_NVM_ACCESS)
-		error = ixl_handle_nvmupd_cmd(pf, ifd);
-	else
-		error = EINVAL;
+	/*
+	 * The iflib_if_ioctl forwards SIOCxDRVSPEC and SIOGPRIVATE_0 without
+	 * performing privilege checks. It is important that this function
+	 * perform the necessary checks for commands which should only be
+	 * executed by privileged threads.
+	 */
 
+	switch(command) {
+	case SIOCGDRVSPEC:
+	case SIOCSDRVSPEC:
+		/* NVM update command */
+		if (ifd->ifd_cmd == I40E_NVM_ACCESS) {
+			error = priv_check(curthread, PRIV_DRIVER);
+			if (error)
+				break;
+			error = ixl_handle_nvmupd_cmd(pf, ifd);
+		} else {
+			error = EINVAL;
+		}
+		break;
+	default:
+		error = EOPNOTSUPP;
+	}
+
 	return (error);
 }
 
--- sys/dev/ixl/ixl.h.orig
+++ sys/dev/ixl/ixl.h
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@
 #include <sys/sockio.h>
 #include <sys/eventhandler.h>
 #include <sys/syslog.h>
+#include <sys/priv.h>
 
 #include <net/if.h>
 #include <net/if_var.h>