CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-53069NVD status: Modified

Linux: NULL Pointer Dereference

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-53069 is a high-severity NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 3128b294b426533c8d9162187446d93a8a160359, acbf45bd584d924b320bee2a7fe2a26f64904d95, 866d3d9b87751b1944168fd82615505e0c0fd6cf 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 0.38% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to 3128b294b426533c8d9162187446d93a8a160359 or acbf45bd584d924b320bee2a7fe2a26f64904d95 or 866d3d9b87751b1944168fd82615505e0c0fd6cf or 183128da0406b1c10e6f60b7b9fe70788b9c8c1d, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 5.15.209 or 6.1.175 or 6.6.141 or 6.12.91, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  3. Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinux879af96ffd72706c6e3278ea6b45b0b0e37ec5d7 up to, but not including, 3128b294b426533c8d9162187446d93a8a160359; 879af96ffd72706c6e3278ea6b45b0b0e37ec5d7 up to, but not including, acbf45bd584d924b320bee2a7fe2a26f64904d95; 879af96ffd72706c6e3278ea6b45b0b0e37ec5d7 up to, but not including, 866d3d9b87751b1944168fd82615505e0c0fd6cf; 879af96ffd72706c6e3278ea6b45b0b0e37ec5d7 up to, but not including, 183128da0406b1c10e6f60b7b9fe70788b9c8c1d; 879af96ffd72706c6e3278ea6b45b0b0e37ec5d7 up to, but not including, 7bad93e99737e4a5c0c14ac50c05152cf4e28022; 879af96ffd72706c6e3278ea6b45b0b0e37ec5d7 up to, but not including, ea690b3b6e58ae00979af8195b4cc24df466b65e; 879af96ffd72706c6e3278ea6b45b0b0e37ec5d7 up to, but not including, 1921f91298d1388a0bb9db8f83800c998b649cb3; 5.153128b294b426533c8d9162187446d93a8a160359, acbf45bd584d924b320bee2a7fe2a26f64904d95, 866d3d9b87751b1944168fd82615505e0c0fd6cf, 183128da0406b1c10e6f60b7b9fe70788b9c8c1d, 7bad93e99737e4a5c0c14ac50c05152cf4e28022, ea690b3b6e58ae00979af8195b4cc24df466b65e
LinuxLinux Kernel5.15 up to, but not including, 5.15.209; 5.16 up to, but not including, 6.1.175; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.141; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.91; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.33; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.105.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.141, 6.12.91, 6.18.33, 7.0.10

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
NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
NoneNo account or login is needed.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
NoneNo data is disclosed.
Integrity
NoneNothing can be modified.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net, bpf: fix null-ptr-deref in xdp_master_redirect() for down master syzkaller reported a kernel panic in bond_rr_gen_slave_id() reached via xdp_master_redirect(). Full decoded trace: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=80e046b8da2820b6ba73 bond_rr_gen_slave_id() dereferences bond->rr_tx_counter, a per-CPU counter that bonding only allocates in bond_open() when the mode is round-robin. If the bond device was never brought up, rr_tx_counter stays NULL. The XDP redirect path can still reach that code on a bond that was never opened: bpf_master_redirect_enabled_key is a global static key, so as soon as any bond device has native XDP attached, the XDP_TX -> xdp_master_redirect() interception is enabled for every slave system-wide. The path xdp_master_redirect() -> bond_xdp_get_xmit_slave() -> bond_xdp_xmit_roundrobin_slave_get() -> bond_rr_gen_slave_id() then runs against a bond that has no rr_tx_counter and crashes. Fix this in the generic xdp_master_redirect() by refusing to call into the master's ->ndo_xdp_get_xmit_slave() when the master device is not up. IFF_UP is only set after ->ndo_open() has successfully returned, so this reliably excludes masters whose XDP state has not been fully initialized. Drop the frame with XDP_ABORTED so the exception is visible via trace_xdp_exception() rather than silently falling through. This is not specific to bonding: any current or future master that defers XDP state allocation to ->ndo_open() is protected.

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.

More NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerabilities (CWE-476)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: yes, technical impact: partial).
  3. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerabilities

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