Linux: NULL Pointer Dereference
CVE-2026-45959 is a high-severity NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 9a3ace9b010ffd8c422c97844ae152f7c53d6b18, 90f9090e3e744a8fe3bb6fa0e61f577347728b0b, d5abcc33ee76bc26d58b39dc1a097e43a99dd438 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.13% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 9a3ace9b010ffd8c422c97844ae152f7c53d6b18 or 90f9090e3e744a8fe3bb6fa0e61f577347728b0b or d5abcc33ee76bc26d58b39dc1a097e43a99dd438, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.18.14 or 6.19.4, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b up to, but not including, 9a3ace9b010ffd8c422c97844ae152f7c53d6b18; a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b up to, but not including, 90f9090e3e744a8fe3bb6fa0e61f577347728b0b; a71475582ada92ba021852bf3c2b40ab3718549b up to, but not including, d5abcc33ee76bc26d58b39dc1a097e43a99dd438; 6.17 | 9a3ace9b010ffd8c422c97844ae152f7c53d6b18, 90f9090e3e744a8fe3bb6fa0e61f577347728b0b, d5abcc33ee76bc26d58b39dc1a097e43a99dd438 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.17 up to, but not including, 6.18.14; 6.19 up to, but not including, 6.19.4 | 6.18.14, 6.19.4 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: ccp - Fix a crash due to incorrect cleanup usage of kfree Annotating a local pointer variable, which will be assigned with the kmalloc-family functions, with the `__cleanup(kfree)` attribute will make the address of the local variable, rather than the address returned by kmalloc, passed to kfree directly and lead to a crash due to invalid deallocation of stack address. According to other places in the repo, the correct usage should be `__free(kfree)`. The code coincidentally compiled because the parameter type `void *` of kfree is compatible with the desired type `struct { ... } **`.
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: NULL Pointer Dereference
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- For any pointers that could have been modified or provided from a function that can return NULL, check the pointer for NULL before use. When working with a multithreaded or otherwise asynchronous environment, ensure that proper locking APIs are used to lock before the check, and unlock when it has finished.
- Select a programming language that is not susceptible to these issues.
- Check the results of all functions that return a value and verify that the value is non-null before acting upon it.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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