CVE-2026-64165
Received Received - Intake

Null Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel ARM Integrator

Publication date: 2026-07-19

Last updated on: 2026-07-19

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ARM: integrator: Fix early initialization Starting with commit bdb249fce9ad4 ("ARM: integrator: read counter using syscon/regmap"), intcp_init_early calls syscon_regmap_lookup_by_compatible which in turn calls of_syscon_register. This function allocates memory. Since the memory management code has not been initialized at that time, the call always fails. It either returns -ENOMEM or crashes as follows. Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000c when read [0000000c] *pgd=00000000 Internal error: Oops: 5 [#1] ARM Modules linked in: CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper Not tainted 6.15.0-rc5-00026-g5fcc9bf84ee5 #1 PREEMPT Hardware name: ARM Integrator/CP (Device Tree) PC is at __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0xec/0x39c LR is at __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x34/0x39c ... Call trace: __kmalloc_cache_noprof from of_syscon_register+0x7c/0x310 of_syscon_register from device_node_get_regmap+0xa4/0xb0 device_node_get_regmap from intcp_init_early+0xc/0x40 intcp_init_early from start_kernel+0x60/0x688 start_kernel from 0x0 The crash is seen due to a dereferenced pointer which is not supposed to be NULL but is NULL if the memory management subsystem has not been initialized. The crash is not seen with all versions of gcc. Some versions such as gcc 9.x apparently do not dereference the pointer, presumably if tracing is disabled. The problem has been reproduced with gcc 10.x, 11.x, and 13.x. Either case, if the crash is not seen, the call to syscon_regmap_lookup_by_compatible returns -ENOMEM, and sched_clock_register is never called. Fix the problem by moving the early initialization code into the standard machine initialization code.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-19
Last Modified
2026-07-19
Generated
2026-07-20
AI Q&A
2026-07-19
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-64165
EUVD
EUVD-2026-45850

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 5 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux_kernel linux_kernel From 6.15.0-rc5|end_excluding=7.0.0 (inc)
gnu gcc 9.x
gnu gcc 10.x
gnu gcc 11.x
gnu gcc 13.x

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's ARM Integrator platform. It occurs during early system initialization when the kernel tries to access hardware registers using syscon/regmap before memory management is fully initialized. This causes a NULL pointer dereference crash or returns an error, preventing proper system clock registration.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability affects the Linux kernel's ARM Integrator platform early initialization. Detection requires checking kernel logs for NULL pointer dereference errors or Oops messages during boot, specifically related to syscon_regmap_lookup_by_compatible or intcp_init_early. Look for errors like 'Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference' or crashes in the call trace involving __kmalloc_cache_noprof.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability can cause system crashes during boot on ARM Integrator systems. It may prevent the system from starting properly or lead to kernel panic errors. The impact depends on the gcc version used during compilation.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA. It is a Linux kernel initialization issue causing crashes or memory allocation failures during early boot on ARM Integrator/CP systems. No data exposure or processing impact is described.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that moves early initialization code into standard machine initialization. Update to a fixed kernel version where this issue is resolved. If using a vulnerable kernel, avoid using ARM Integrator platforms or disable early syscon initialization if possible.

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