CVE-2026-74728
Received Received - Intake

NULL Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel XFS Filesystem

Publication date: 2026-08-22

Last updated on: 2026-08-22

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xfs: handle NULL b_addr in xfs_buf_free When xfs_buf_alloc_backing_mem() fails, xfs_buf_free() is called with bp->b_addr still NULL. The code falls through to the folio_put path which calls virt_to_folio(NULL), dereferencing an invalid address and causing a kernel crash. Call Trace: xfs_buf_free+0x25f/0x510 xfs_buf_alloc+0xc98/0x19b0 xfs_buf_find_insert+0x55/0x14d0 xfs_buf_get_map+0x122b/0x17c0 xfbtree_init_leaf_block+0x11c/0x4a0 xfbtree_init+0x1bb/0x460 xrep_rmap_setup_scan+0x100/0x1f0 xrep_rmapbt+0x41/0xc0 Fix this by skipping folio_put() when bp->b_addr is NULL.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-22
Last Modified
2026-08-22
Generated
2026-08-22
AI Q&A
2026-08-22
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-74728
EUVD
EUVD-2026-64415

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a Linux kernel vulnerability where a NULL pointer dereference occurs in the XFS filesystem. When memory allocation fails during buffer creation, the cleanup function attempts to free a buffer with a NULL address. This leads to a kernel crash due to invalid memory access.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's XFS filesystem and requires kernel-level detection. There are no direct network commands to detect it. Monitor kernel logs for crashes or errors related to XFS operations, particularly during buffer allocation failures.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause system instability or crashes, potentially leading to denial-of-service conditions. Systems using the XFS filesystem may become unresponsive or reboot unexpectedly.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patches from your Linux distribution to resolve the XFS buffer handling issue. If immediate patching is not possible, avoid using XFS filesystems or disable XFS-related operations until patched.

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