CVE-2026-98651
Received Received - Intake

NULL Pointer Dereference in Linux Kernel KVM for s390

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-18

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: s390: Properly handle NULL pointer in dat_cond_set_storage_key() Some callers pass NULL as oldkey. Calling page_cond_set_storage_key() will cause that NULL pointer to get dereferenced. Fix by checking for NULL and assigning the pointer to a dummy local variable to avoid crashes.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-18
Last Modified
2026-10-18
Generated
2026-10-18
AI Q&A
2026-10-18
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-98651
EUVD
EUVD-2026-103565

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 3 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Linux Linux 8e03e8316eb242af307d1c789d09f1a1457cf9a3
Linux Linux 8e03e8316eb242af307d1c789d09f1a1457cf9a3
Linux Linux 7.0

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Exploitability

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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's KVM (Kernel-based Virtual Machine) implementation for s390 architecture. It occurs when a function called dat_cond_set_storage_key() receives a NULL pointer as the oldkey parameter. The function then passes this NULL pointer to page_cond_set_storage_key(), which attempts to dereference it, leading to a potential system crash.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's KVM s390 implementation. Detection requires checking for crashes or NULL pointer dereferences in the dat_cond_set_storage_key function. Monitor kernel logs for oops or panic messages related to KVM or s390 operations.

Impact Analysis

If exploited, this vulnerability could cause a denial-of-service (DoS) condition on affected systems by crashing the kernel. This would terminate all running virtual machines and potentially require a system reboot to restore functionality.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the kernel patch that fixes the NULL pointer handling in dat_cond_set_storage_key(). Update to a patched kernel version. If immediate patching is not possible, restrict access to KVM s390 functionality until the fix is applied.

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