CVE-2026-23107

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: arm64/fpsimd: signal: Allocate SSVE storage when restoring ZA The code to restore a ZA context doesn't attempt to allocate the task's sve_state before setting TIF_SME. Consequently, restoring a ZA context can place a task into an invalid state where TIF_SME is set but the task's sve_state is NULL. In legitimate but uncommon cases where the ZA signal context was NOT created by the kernel in the context of the same task (e.g. if the task is saved/restored with something like CRIU), we have no guarantee that sve_state had been allocated previously. In these cases, userspace can enter streaming mode without trapping while sve_state is NULL, causing a later NULL pointer dereference when the kernel attempts to store the register state: | # ./sigreturn-za | Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000 | Mem abort info: | ESR = 0x0000000096000046 | EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits | SET = 0, FnV = 0 | EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 | FSC = 0x06: level 2 translation fault | Data abort info: | ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000046, ISS2 = 0x00000000 | CM = 0, WnR = 1, TnD = 0, TagAccess = 0 | GCS = 0, Overlay = 0, DirtyBit = 0, Xs = 0 | user pgtable: 4k pages, 52-bit VAs, pgdp=0000000101f47c00 | [0000000000000000] pgd=08000001021d8403, p4d=0800000102274403, pud=0800000102275403, pmd=0000000000000000 | Internal error: Oops: 0000000096000046 [#1] SMP | Modules linked in: | CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 153 Comm: sigreturn-za Not tainted 6.19.0-rc1 #1 PREEMPT | Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT) | pstate: 214000c9 (nzCv daIF +PAN -UAO -TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) | pc : sve_save_state+0x4/0xf0 | lr : fpsimd_save_user_state+0xb0/0x1c0 | sp : ffff80008070bcc0 | x29: ffff80008070bcc0 x28: fff00000c1ca4c40 x27: 63cfa172fb5cf658 | x26: fff00000c1ca5228 x25: 0000000000000000 x24: 0000000000000000 | x23: 0000000000000000 x22: fff00000c1ca4c40 x21: fff00000c1ca4c40 | x20: 0000000000000020 x19: fff00000ff6900f0 x18: 0000000000000000 | x17: fff05e8e0311f000 x16: 0000000000000000 x15: 028fca8f3bdaf21c | x14: 0000000000000212 x13: fff00000c0209f10 x12: 0000000000000020 | x11: 0000000000200b20 x10: 0000000000000000 x9 : fff00000ff69dcc0 | x8 : 00000000000003f2 x7 : 0000000000000001 x6 : fff00000c1ca5b48 | x5 : fff05e8e0311f000 x4 : 0000000008000000 x3 : 0000000000000000 | x2 : 0000000000000001 x1 : fff00000c1ca5970 x0 : 0000000000000440 | Call trace: | sve_save_state+0x4/0xf0 (P) | fpsimd_thread_switch+0x48/0x198 | __switch_to+0x20/0x1c0 | __schedule+0x36c/0xce0 | schedule+0x34/0x11c | exit_to_user_mode_loop+0x124/0x188 | el0_interrupt+0xc8/0xd8 | __el0_irq_handler_common+0x18/0x24 | el0t_64_irq_handler+0x10/0x1c | el0t_64_irq+0x198/0x19c | Code: 54000040 d51b4408 d65f03c0 d503245f (e5bb5800) | ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]--- Fix this by having restore_za_context() ensure that the task's sve_state is allocated, matching what we do when taking an SME trap. Any live SVE/SSVE state (which is restored earlier from a separate signal context) must be preserved, and hence this is not zeroed.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-02-04
Last modified 2026-03-19
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-476

CVE-2026-23107 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability

What is NULL Pointer Dereference?

The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.19 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68, 6.18.8, 6.19 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.19
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.162 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.122 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.68 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.8 6.18.x ✓ 6.19

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-23107 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-23107?

    CVE-2026-23107 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.19 onward and has been patched in 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68 and others. CVE-2026-23107 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-23107?

    CVE-2026-23107 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H .

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-23107?

    Yes — CVE-2026-23107 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.19 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-23107 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-23107 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?

    The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →