CVE-2026-31436
Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete
Use-After-Free in Linux dmaengine idxd Causes Descriptor Corruption

Publication date: 2026-04-22

Last updated on: 2026-05-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dmaengine: idxd: fix possible wrong descriptor completion in llist_abort_desc() At the end of this function, d is the traversal cursor of flist, but the code completes found instead. This can lead to issues such as NULL pointer dereferences, double completion, or descriptor leaks. Fix this by completing d instead of found in the final list_for_each_entry_safe() loop.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-04-22
Last Modified
2026-05-19
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-04-22
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-31436
EUVD
EUVD-2026-24760
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 9 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.21 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.11 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.8 (inc) to 6.12.80 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-476 The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's dmaengine idxd component, specifically in the function llist_abort_desc(). The issue arises because at the end of this function, the code incorrectly completes a descriptor referred to as 'found' instead of the correct traversal cursor 'd' of the flist. This mistake can cause problems such as NULL pointer dereferences, double completion of descriptors, or descriptor leaks.

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability can lead to serious issues within the Linux kernel's dmaengine idxd subsystem. Specifically, it may cause NULL pointer dereferences, which can crash the system or cause instability. Double completion of descriptors might lead to unexpected behavior or corruption, and descriptor leaks could result in resource exhaustion or degraded performance.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, you should update your Linux kernel to a version that includes the fix for the dmaengine idxd issue in the llist_abort_desc() function.

The fix involves correcting the completion of descriptors to prevent NULL pointer dereferences, double completions, or descriptor leaks.

Applying the latest kernel patches or upgrading to the latest stable kernel release is recommended.

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