CVE-2026-53403
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbdev: Fix fb_new_modelist to prevent null-ptr-deref in fb_videomode_to_var info->var, a framebuffer's current mode, is expected to have a matching entry in info->modelist. var_to_display() relies on this and treats a failed fb_match_mode() as "This should not happen". fb_set_var() keeps it true by adding the mode to the list on every change, and do_register_framebuffer() does the same at registration. store_modes() replaces the modelist from userspace. fb_new_modelist() validates the new modes but does not check that info->var still has a match. It relies on fbcon_new_modelist() to re-point consoles, but that only handles consoles mapped to the framebuffer. With fbcon unbound there are none, so info->var is left describing a mode that is no longer in the list. A later console takeover runs var_to_display(), where fb_match_mode() returns NULL and leaves fb_display[i].mode NULL. fbcon_switch() passes it to display_to_var(), and fb_videomode_to_var() dereferences the NULL mode. Keep the current mode in the list in fb_new_modelist(), the same way fb_set_var() does.
Affected versions
Fixed in
5.10.260,
5.15.211,
6.1.177,
6.6.144,
6.12.95,
6.18.38,
7.1.3,
7.2-rc1
and their respective stable series.
References
8 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-53403?
CVE-2026-53403 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . CVE-2026-53403 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-53403?
Yes — CVE-2026-53403 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.260, 5.15.211, 6.1.177 and others.
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Is CVE-2026-53403 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-53403 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.