CVE Catalog

CVE-2026-98812

Low risk· EPSS 7%
Published: Updated: Translated: NVD NIST

Exploitation Probability (EPSS)

Low risk
0.18%

7th percentile - higher than 7% of all known CVEs

Summary

In the Linux kernel's MCTP subsystem (net/mctp), mctp_add_dev() links the new mctp_dev into dev->mctp_ptr before mdev->dev is assigned. A reader that picks up the device in that window dereferences a net_device pointer that is still NULL, causing a null-ptr-deref (detected by KASAN). The fix publishes the object only after it is fully initialised.

Risk Assessment

A local attacker or process can trigger a kernel crash (null-ptr-deref) by sending a message through an MCTP socket at the critical moment, leading to denial of service (kernel panic). Systems with the MCTP subsystem enabled are affected.

Recommendation

Update the Linux kernel to a version containing the fix (commit described in the CVE). If an update is not possible, consider disabling or restricting the use of the MCTP subsystem to essential scenarios.

Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

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Original NVD description (English source)

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mctp: publish the mctp_dev only after it is initialised mctp_add_dev() links the new mctp_dev into dev->mctp_ptr before mdev->dev is assigned, so a reader that picks the device up in that window dereferences a net_device pointer that is still NULL: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x00000000000000b0-0x00000000000000b7] Call Trace: <TASK> ? __pfx_mctp_sendmsg (./include/linux/sockptr.h:49) ? __pfx_mctp_dst_output (net/mctp/route.c:41) ? selinux_socket_sendmsg (security/selinux/hooks.c:5278) ____sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:775 (discriminator 1) net/socket.c:790 (discriminator 1) net/socket.c:2684 (discriminator 1)) ? __pfx_____sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:1131) ? __pfx_copy_msghdr_from_user (net/socket.c:2590) ? update_cfs_rq_load_avg (kernel/sched/fair.c:5478) ___sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2738) ? __pfx____sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2625) ? perf_event_task_tick (./include/linux/rcupdate.h:838) ? sched_tick (kernel/sched/core.c:5818) ? clockevents_program_event (kernel/time/clockevents.c:372) ? fdget (./include/linux/rcupdate.h:873 fs/file.c:1100) __sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2770) ? __pfx___sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2751) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:121) </TASK> Fix by publishing only once the object is fully initialised: __mctp_dev_get() runs under rcu_read_lock() only and hands this object to readers as soon as mctp_ptr is assigned, so they must never observe mdev->dev == NULL.

Vulnerability data from NVD (NIST) · CISA KEV · EPSS