CVE-2026-52941

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/smc: avoid NULL deref of conn->lnk in smc_msg_event tracepoint The smc_msg_event tracepoint class, shared by smc_tx_sendmsg and smc_rx_recvmsg, unconditionally dereferences smc->conn.lnk: __string(name, smc->conn.lnk->ibname) conn->lnk is only set for SMC-R; for SMC-D it is NULL. Other code on these paths already handles this (e.g. !conn->lnk in SMC_STAT_RMB_TX_SIZE_SMALL()). With the tracepoint enabled, the first sendmsg()/recvmsg() on an SMC-D socket crashes: Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [...] RIP: 0010:strlen+0x1e/0xa0 Call Trace: trace_event_raw_event_smc_msg_event (net/smc/smc_tracepoint.h:44) smc_rx_recvmsg (net/smc/smc_rx.c:515) smc_recvmsg (net/smc/af_smc.c:2859) __sys_recvfrom (net/socket.c:2315) __x64_sys_recvfrom (net/socket.c:2326) do_syscall_64 The faulting address 0x3e0 is offsetof(struct smc_link, ibname), confirming the NULL ->lnk deref. Enabling the tracepoint requires root, but the trigger itself is unprivileged: socket(AF_SMC, ...) has no capability check, and SMC-D negotiation needs no admin step on s390 or on x86 with the loopback ISM device loaded. Log an empty device name for SMC-D instead of dereferencing NULL.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-06-24
Last modified 2026-07-08
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-2026-52941 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 5.16 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.1.175, 6.6.142, 6.12.92, 6.18.34, 7.0.11, 7.1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.16
Fixed in
✓ 6.1.175 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.142 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.92 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.34 6.18.x ✓ 7.0.11 7.0.x ✓ 7.1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-52941?

    CVE-2026-52941 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 5.16 onward and has been patched in 6.1.175, 6.6.142, 6.12.92 and others. CVE-2026-52941 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-52941?

    CVE-2026-52941 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-2026-52941?

    Yes. CVE-2026-52941 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.1.175, 6.6.142, 6.12.92 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 5.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-52941 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-52941 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.