CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-68141NVD status: Received

Linux: NULL Pointer Dereference

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-68141 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 6a1eb5b46c19073f8153b7e2c19b408cf353aaf1, c0b6e2ae90613c2fea7eaf3faa20985c6c2a1953, 07e21deb3664001995e0a456dd627ab7dbe127ec 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 0.52% 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 6a1eb5b46c19073f8153b7e2c19b408cf353aaf1 or c0b6e2ae90613c2fea7eaf3faa20985c6c2a1953 or 07e21deb3664001995e0a456dd627ab7dbe127ec or 8bb111f87ded6acb9837ec9b45d6f02cda94c51f, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. 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
LinuxLinux3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, 6a1eb5b46c19073f8153b7e2c19b408cf353aaf1; 3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, c0b6e2ae90613c2fea7eaf3faa20985c6c2a1953; 3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, 07e21deb3664001995e0a456dd627ab7dbe127ec; 3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, 8bb111f87ded6acb9837ec9b45d6f02cda94c51f; 3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, 46453b16f38ec7147351f7447e2aec6ea330f7b3; 3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, 33736ff5e7c97d3348ce812e8bd2e125d840743c; 3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, 0e857185591fe79934427c9c0c1c31dc776be134; 3881ac441f642d56503818123446f7298442236b up to, but not including, 47a5116e56a6b6fe1e909f244e39cd0fc26ceee4; and 1 more ranges6a1eb5b46c19073f8153b7e2c19b408cf353aaf1, c0b6e2ae90613c2fea7eaf3faa20985c6c2a1953, 07e21deb3664001995e0a456dd627ab7dbe127ec, 8bb111f87ded6acb9837ec9b45d6f02cda94c51f, 46453b16f38ec7147351f7447e2aec6ea330f7b3, 33736ff5e7c97d3348ce812e8bd2e125d840743c

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/af_iucv: fix NULL deref in afiucv_hs_callback_syn() afiucv_hs_callback_syn() allocates the child socket with GFP_ATOMIC. If the allocation fails, nsk is NULL. The connection-refused path is entered when the listen state check fails, the accept backlog is full, or nsk is NULL. The code unconditionally calls iucv_sock_kill(nsk) in that path. iucv_sock_kill() does not accept a NULL socket pointer and immediately dereferences sk via sock_flag(sk, SOCK_ZAPPED). When nsk is NULL, calling iucv_sock_kill(nsk) results in a NULL pointer dereference. Only call iucv_sock_kill() when a child socket was successfully allocated.

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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