NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-72316

Vulnerability identifier: #VU143124

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-2026-72316

CWE-ID: CWE-476

Exploitation vector: Local access

Exploit availability: No public exploit available

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

The vulnerability exists due to a NULL pointer dereference in metadata_open() when handling an allocation failure. A local user can trigger the vulnerable code path to cause a denial of service.

The issue occurs because a NULL return value was treated as a valid metadata pointer instead of an error.

Linux kernel
openEuler
python3-perf-debuginfo
python3-perf
perf-debuginfo
perf
kernel-tools-devel
kernel-tools-debuginfo
kernel-tools
kernel-source
kernel-headers
kernel-devel
kernel-debugsource
kernel-debuginfo
bpftool-debuginfo
bpftool
kernel
kernel-extra-modules

Install security update from vendor's repository.

Linux kernel - update to 7.0 rc3
python3-perf-debuginfo - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
python3-perf - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
perf-debuginfo - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
perf - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-tools-devel - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-tools-debuginfo - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-tools - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-source - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-headers - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-devel - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-debugsource - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-debuginfo - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
bpftool-debuginfo - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
bpftool - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel - addressed in versions 6.6.0-145.1.24.161, 6.6.0-145.3.29.160
kernel-extra-modules - update to 6.6.0-145.3.29.160

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/01c49eae7c6256f2d8cc08210a2bac3ee070e43a
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/14e03ecd3b1b5fc03c082b27a2f8889f8290c30e
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17eb2ab13edd0b06ce6f996c5fd450d7efabb2e8
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/889374b8e4a60d13fe4a5a8ae3a311ca93d1a2c3
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ae672606c17891d90b282e3490b817620549599
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a705e056c2f3dd067fb2ff414f0537530baa090b
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b69ea153d30ce19ca8997eeeca1e2219fae5a29b
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd5a80128bdfc93b1cae935a70da000b8c483e6e

• NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel md driver
• openEuler 24.03 LTS SP3 update for kernel
• openEuler 24.03 LTS SP1 update for kernel