CVE-2026-74414

Received Received - Intake

Null Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel HFS+ Filesystem

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: hfsplus: Remove the duplicate attr inode dirty marking action Syzbot reported a null-ptr-deref in [1]. If the attributes file is not loaded during system mount, a trigger occurs [1] when setxattr is executed in userspace. Remove the first mark attr inode dirty operation. [1] KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f] Call Trace: hfsplus_setxattr+0x124/0x340 fs/hfsplus/xattr.c:555 hfsplus_trusted_setxattr+0x40/0x60 fs/hfsplus/xattr_trusted.c:30 __vfs_setxattr+0x43c/0x480 fs/xattr.c:218 __vfs_setxattr_noperm+0x12d/0x660 fs/xattr.c:252 vfs_setxattr+0x163/0x360 fs/xattr.c:339 do_setxattr fs/xattr.c:654 [inline]

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-74414

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59561

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux_kernel	hfsplus	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This is a null-pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's HFS+ filesystem driver. It occurs when the attributes file is not loaded during system mount and a setxattr operation is executed in userspace. The issue stems from a duplicate marking of the attributes inode as dirty, leading to a crash when accessing uninitialized memory.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability can be detected by monitoring for null pointer dereference errors in the Linux kernel, particularly during setxattr operations on HFS+ filesystems. Check kernel logs for KASAN reports or null-ptr-deref errors in the range 0x0000000000000008-0x000000000000000f.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause a system crash (kernel panic) when a user attempts to set extended attributes on files in an HFS+ filesystem. It may lead to denial of service if the affected system becomes unresponsive or requires a reboot.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with standards like GDPR or HIPAA as it is a Linux kernel null-pointer dereference issue in the hfsplus filesystem. It may indirectly impact compliance if exploited to cause system instability or data corruption, but no specific compliance implications are documented.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel patches that address this issue. If immediate patching is not possible, avoid using setxattr operations on HFS+ filesystems until the fix is applied. Monitor system logs for signs of exploitation or crashes.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-74414. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70