CVE-2026-43272
Linux Kernel Ring Buffer Pointer Dereference Vulnerability
Publication date: 2026-05-06
Last updated on: 2026-05-06
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | * |
| linux_kernel | linux_kernel | * |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's ring-buffer code. Specifically, a pointer named head_page in the function rb_meta_validate_events() is not initialized at the start of the function. If there is a failure during the validation of a reader page, the code jumps to an "invalid" label where this uninitialized pointer is dereferenced inside a loop. This can lead to undefined behavior or potential crashes.
The issue was fixed by initializing the pointers orig_head and head_page before calling rb_validate_buffer, preventing the dereference of an uninitialized pointer.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
Dereferencing an uninitialized pointer can cause the Linux kernel to behave unpredictably, potentially leading to system crashes or kernel panics. This can result in denial of service or instability on affected systems running the vulnerable kernel.