NULL pointer dereference in Linux

CVE-2026-23020

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: 3com: 3c59x: fix possible null dereference in vortex_probe1() pdev can be null and free_ring: can be called in 1297 with a null pdev.

Published · last modified .

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 5.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

EPSS exploit prediction

EPSS: 0.001 (2.4th percentile), scored .

Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 2nd percentile — 2.4% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.

EPSS trend (30 days)EPSS over the last 30 days for CVE-2026-23020: held from 0.001 to 0.001.

EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.001 · newest: 0.001 · change: +0.000

Affected products

  • Linux — versions 4.17, 55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f, 6.19
  • Linux Kernel — versions 4.17, 6.19

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-23020?
CVE-2026-23020 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under NULL Pointer Dereference. CVSS score: 5.5/10. Published 2026-01-31.
How severe is CVE-2026-23020?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.5 out of 10.