SB20261022286 - NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel thunderbolt driver
Published: October 22, 2026
Security Bulletin ID
SB20261022286
CSH Severity
Low
Patch available
YES
Number of vulnerabilities
1
Exploitation vector
Local access
Highest impact
Denial of service
Breakdown by Severity
- Low
- Medium
- High
- Critical
Description
This security bulletin contains information about 1 vulnerability.
1) NULL pointer dereference (CVE-ID: CVE-2026-98688)
CWE-ID: CWE-476 - NULL Pointer Dereference
CVSSv4: 5.7 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:P/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
The vulnerability allows a local user to cause a denial of service through a kernel crash.
The vulnerability exists due to a race condition resulting in a null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel Thunderbolt subsystem when tb_remove_work() overlaps with tb_domain_remove(). A local user can potentially trigger this race to cause a kernel crash when tb_free_unplugged_xdomains() receives a NULL tb->root_switch pointer.
Remediation
Install update from vendor's website.