CVE-2026-97980
Received Received - Intake

NULL Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel s390 Debugging

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-09-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/debug: Fix NULL pointer dereference in debug_set_level() Commit a2cec6863709 ("s390/debug: Add s390dbf kernel parameter") incorrectly removed a null-id check from debug_set_level(), introducing a possible NULL pointer dereference for debug-API users that put debug_register() results unchecked into debug_set_level(). Fix this by moving the check from the internal _debug_set_level() variant back to the external debug_set_level() wrapper.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-25
Last Modified
2026-09-25
Generated
2026-09-25
AI Q&A
2026-09-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-97980
EUVD
EUVD-2026-86634

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 flaw was introduced in the debug_set_level() function. The issue stems from a commit that removed a null-id check, allowing debug-API users to pass unchecked debug_register() results into debug_set_level(), potentially causing crashes.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's s390 debug subsystem and involves a NULL pointer dereference in debug_set_level(). Detection requires checking kernel logs for crashes or errors related to s390 debug API usage. No direct network detection is applicable.

Impact Analysis

If you use the Linux kernel's debug API, this vulnerability could cause system crashes or instability when debug_set_level() is called with invalid debug register results. This primarily affects developers or systems using kernel debugging features.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that reintroduces the null-id check in debug_set_level(). Update to a fixed kernel version where commit a2cec6863709 is corrected. Monitor kernel logs for s390 debug-related errors as a sign of exploitation.

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