NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-53385

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Main Vulnerability Database Vulnerabilities #VU138879

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-53385

Published: July 21, 2026


Vulnerability identifier: #VU138879
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 6.8 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-53385
CWE-ID: CWE-476
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability: No public exploit available

Vulnerability details

The vulnerability allows a local user to cause a denial of service.

The vulnerability exists due to a null pointer dereference caused by a race condition in vcs_notifier() in drivers/tty/vt/vc_screen.c when handling concurrent vcs_write operations. A local user can trigger concurrent write activity to cause a denial of service.

The issue occurs after the console lock is temporarily dropped and re-acquired, allowing the vc_data pointer to become stale before notifier processing.


Affected software

Linux kernel
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5 LTSS Extended
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12 SP5
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 12
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Performance Computing 12
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching
Ubuntu
linux (Ubuntu package)
linux-kvm (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure (Ubuntu package)
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle (Ubuntu package)
linux-lowlatency (Ubuntu package)
linux-gke (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-hwe-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-tegra-igx (Ubuntu package)
linux-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia (Ubuntu package)
linux-gkeop (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-tegra (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iotg (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iotg-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-xilinx-zynqmp (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package)
linux-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-lowlatency (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-raspi-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-realtime-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-bos (Ubuntu package)
linux-hwe-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-oem-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-7.0 (Ubuntu package)
kgraft-patch-4_12_14-122_333-default
ocfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo
cluster-md-kmp-default-debuginfo
kernel-default-base
kernel-syms
kernel-default-base-debuginfo
cluster-md-kmp-default
ocfs2-kmp-default
dlm-kmp-default-debuginfo
dlm-kmp-default
kernel-default-debuginfo
kernel-default-kgraft-devel
kernel-default-debugsource
kernel-default-kgraft
kernel-default
kernel-default-devel
gfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo
gfs2-kmp-default
kernel-default-devel-debuginfo
kernel-macros
kernel-source
kernel-devel
kernel-default-man

How to mitigate CVE-2026-53385

Install security update from vendor's repository.

Linux kernel - update to 7.0 rc3
linux (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-198.208, 6.8.0-147.147, 7.0.0-31.31
linux-kvm (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1109.114
linux-aws (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1117.124, 6.8.0-1067.70, 7.0.0-1012.12
linux-gcp (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1118.128, 6.8.0-1071.79, 7.0.0-1011.11
linux-azure (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1123.132, 6.8.0-1071.79, 7.0.0-1014.14
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1113.116, 6.8.0-1068.72, 7.0.0-1019.19
linux-oracle (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1114.120, 6.8.0-1064.67, 7.0.0-1011.11
linux-lowlatency (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-195.205, 6.8.0-147.147.1
linux-gke (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1113.119, 6.8.0-1066.74, 7.0.0-1006.7
linux-aws-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1117.124~20.04.1
linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-195.205~20.04.1
linux-hwe-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-198.208~20.04.1
linux-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-198.208+fips1, 6.8.0-147.147+fips1
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1123.132~20.04.1
linux-nvidia-tegra-igx (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1059.59
linux-realtime (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1116.125, 6.8.1-1062.63, 7.0.0-31.31.1
linux-nvidia (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1112.113, 6.8.0-1067.70, 7.0.0-1018.18
linux-gkeop (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1100.108, 6.8.0-1052.56
linux-ibm-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1111.115~20.04.1
linux-nvidia-tegra (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1070.72
linux-azure-fde-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1122.131~20.04.1
linux-intel-iotg (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1112.118
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1111.115, 6.8.0-1067.68, 7.0.0-1013.13
linux-intel-iotg-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1112.118~20.04.1
linux-oracle-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1114.120~20.04.1
linux-gcp-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1118.128~20.04.1
linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1070.72~20.04.1
linux-xilinx-zynqmp (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1080.84
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1109.111
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1118.128+fips1, 6.8.0-1071.79+fips1
linux-aws-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1117.124+fips1, 6.8.0-1067.70+fips1
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1123.132+fips1, 6.8.0-1071.79+fips1
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1069.76
linux-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-149.149~22.04.1
linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-149.149.1~22.04.1
linux-azure-fde-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1071.78~22.04.1
linux-oracle-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1067.71~22.04.1
linux-aws-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1069.74~22.04.1
linux-azure-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1073.82~22.04.1
linux-nvidia-lowlatency (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1067.70.1
linux-ibm-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1069.70~22.04.1
linux-gcp-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1073.81~22.04.1
linux-raspi-realtime (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-2056.58
linux-realtime-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.1-1064.65~22.04.1
linux-nvidia-bos (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-2018.18
linux-hwe-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-31.31~24.04.1
linux-gcp-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1011.11~24.04.1
linux-azure-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1014.14~24.04.1
linux-oracle-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1011.11~24.04.1
linux-oem-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1013.13
linux-aws-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1012.12~24.04.1
linux-nvidia-7.0 (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1018.18~24.04.1
kgraft-patch-4_12_14-122_333-default - update to 1-8.3.3
ocfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
cluster-md-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-base - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-syms - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-base-debuginfo - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
cluster-md-kmp-default - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
ocfs2-kmp-default - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
dlm-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
dlm-kmp-default - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-debuginfo - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-kgraft-devel - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-debugsource - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-kgraft - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-devel - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
gfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
gfs2-kmp-default - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-devel-debuginfo - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-macros - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-source - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-devel - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2
kernel-default-man - update to 4.12.14-122.333.2

External References

Related Security Bulletins