NULL pointer dereference in Linux
CVE-2026-53096
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Use RCU-safe iteration in dev_map_redirect_multi() SKB path The DEVMAP_HASH branch in dev_map_redirect_multi() uses hlist_for_each_entry_safe() to iterate hash buckets, but this function runs under RCU protection (called from xdp_do_generic_redirect_map() in softirq context). Concurrent writers (__dev_map_hash_update_elem, dev_map_hash_delete_elem) modify the list using RCU primitives (hlist_add_head_rcu, hlist_del_rcu). hlist_for_each_entry_safe() performs plain pointer dereferences without rcu_dereference(), missing the acquire barrier needed to pair with writers' rcu_assign_pointer(). On weakly-ordered architectures (ARM64, POWER), a reader can observe a partially-constructed node. It also defeats CONFIG_PROVE_RCU lockdep validation and KCSAN data-race detection. Replace with hlist_for_each_entry_rcu() using rcu_read_lock_bh_held() as the lockdep condition, consistent with the rcu_dereference_check() used in the DEVMAP (non-hash) branch of the same functions. Also fix the same incorrect lockdep_is_held(&dtab->index_lock) condition in dev_map_enqueue_multi(), where the lock is not held either.
Published · last modified .
CVSS v3 metric
CVSS v3 base score 7.8 (High). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H.
EPSS exploit prediction
EPSS: 0.001 (2.3th percentile), scored .
Very low probability of exploitation in the next 30 days; routine patching cadence is appropriate. 2nd percentile — 2.3% of CVEs in the catalogue have a lower EPSS than this one. How to read EPSS.
EPSS over last 30 days · oldest: 0.001 · newest: 0.001 · change: 0.000
Affected products
- Linux — versions e624d4ed4aa8cc3c69d1359b0aaea539203ed266, 5.14, 0
- Linux Kernel
Weakness classification (CWE)
References
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 (Patch)
Frequently asked questions
- What is CVE-2026-53096?
- CVE-2026-53096 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under NULL Pointer Dereference. CVSS score: 7.8/10. Published 2026-06-24.
- How severe is CVE-2026-53096?
- High severity. CVSS v3 base score is 7.8 out of 10.