Error pointer dereference in Linux kernel accel/rocket driver
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 accel/rocket driver from 6.18 stores a failed rocket_device_init() result in a shared device pointer without clearing it. A later core probe can see that error pointer as initialized, skip setup, and dereference it when reading rdev->num_cores.
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: accel/rocket: clear rdev on device init failure rocket_probe() stores the return value from rocket_device_init() in the file-scoped rdev pointer before checking whether it is an error pointer. If rocket_device_init() fails, rdev is left as an ERR_PTR. The rdev pointer is also used as the marker for whether the shared rocket device has already been initialized. A later core probe can therefore see a non-NULL rdev, skip rocket_device_init(), and dereference the error pointer when reading rdev->num_cores. Save the error code and clear rdev before returning from the rocket_device_init() failure path.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade to Linux kernel 6.18.59, 7.2.13 or 7.3. Red Hat rates this issue Moderate.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.59, 7.2.13, 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
- 2026-10-28 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99210
- 2026-10-28 Alias added: GHSA-7q2q-xjhr-934r
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-06 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-99210 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99210 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-7q2q-xjhr-934r · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99210 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences