CVE-2024-26998

Local kernel crash via stale serial-buffer indices

Published May 1, 2024 · Updated May 23, 2026

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux 6.6.24 through 6.6.28 and 6.7.12 through 6.8 allows local users to crash the kernel. uart_tty_port_shutdown clears the transmit-buffer pointer before resetting its head and tail, so an asynchronous callback treats stale indices as queued data and serial8250_tx_chars dereferences the NULL pointer. The path requires local low-privileged access and power-management or timer activity on a shut-down serial port, and its reported consequence is a kernel crash.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.23%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

NULL-pointer dereference in Linux 6.6.24 through 6.6.28 and 6.7.12 through 6.8 allows local users to crash the kernel. uart_tty_port_shutdown clears the transmit-buffer pointer before resetting its head and tail, so an asynchronous callback treats stale indices as queued data and serial8250_tx_chars dereferences the NULL pointer. The path requires local low-privileged access and power-management or timer activity on a shut-down serial port, and its reported consequence is a kernel crash.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-26998
Published
May 1, 2024
Updated
May 23, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. May 1, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 23, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=43066e32227ecde674e8ae1fcdd4a1ede67680c2 <9cf7ea2eeb745213dc2a04103e426b960e807940
  2. Affected versionversion=43066e32227ecde674e8ae1fcdd4a1ede67680c2 <bb1118905e875c111d7ccef9aee86ac5e4e7f985
  3. Affected versionversion=434beb66368d4fb4d3119c2116b9398500adbf47 <7ae7104d54342433a3a73975f6569beefdd86350
  4. Affected versionversion=6.6.24 <6.6.29
  5. Affected versionversion=6.7.12 <6.8
  6. Affected versionversion=6.8
  7. Affected versionversion=a629a9b2f7699314a4abe8fbc37b0ee667b60f33

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=43066e32227ecde674e8ae1fcdd4a1ede67680c2 <9cf7ea2eeb745213dc2a04103e426b960e807940; version=43066e32227ecde674e8ae1fcdd4a1ede67680c2 <bb1118905e875c111d7ccef9aee86ac5e4e7f985; version=434beb66368d4fb4d3119c2116b9398500adbf47 <7ae7104d54342433a3a73975f6569beefdd86350; version=6.6.24 <6.6.29; version=6.7.12 <6.8; version=6.8; version=a629a9b2f7699314a4abe8fbc37b0ee667b60f33

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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