NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel MCTP device setup
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 5.15 publishes an MCTP device in net/mctp before its net_device pointer is assigned, in mctp_add_dev. A reader that picks up the device in that window can dereference a NULL pointer, causing a KASAN null-pointer dereference report. A local user who sends traffic through a socket during device setup can reach this window.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
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.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Linux kernel fixed versions are 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10 and 7.3. The sources list no fixed version for other Linux kernel branches.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 7 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98812
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-737h-gm8x-wcgc
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Fix available: Linux/Linux@288ef37e0c463192dbb6436e61cdc07ce666dcb9, Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-10-24 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-24 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/[email protected], Linux/Linux@58a270b5ecd8629114a4754d642bad6a33bef493, Linux/[email protected] +1 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 2 new references · CNA
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/58a270b5ecd8629114a4754d642bad6a33bef493
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdf09d0fa2fb639950bede185d22689f68df140e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/288ef37e0c463192dbb6436e61cdc07ce666dcb9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/af6e4f931afc2d670d133aa2bedc8b6e3753c618
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/63120572edde85bb2b70b0ed4d4817ed52247613
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f37f42e6e039a48c2dcf6c079b9f7fbc864ab7ef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aadf655e8ea9a8ffa24bb8d69f504572e8d18181
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98812 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98812 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-737h-gm8x-wcgc · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98812 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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