Kernel crash via unallocated DMA vector access
Published Feb 14, 2026 · Updated Feb 14, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel 6.17 allows attackers to crash the kernel when NVMe PCI DMA unmap requirements change. The nvme-pci mapping iterator assumes dma_needs_unmap remains false and accesses uninitialized dma_vecs after that requirement becomes true. The trigger requires an NVMe PCI mapping iteration whose DMA unmapping requirement changes after initialization, such as when SWIOTLB is enabled; no attacker-controlled input path is disclosed.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel 6.17 allows attackers to crash the kernel when NVMe PCI DMA unmap requirements change. The nvme-pci mapping iterator assumes dma_needs_unmap remains false and accesses uninitialized dma_vecs after that requirement becomes true. The trigger requires an NVMe PCI mapping iteration whose DMA unmapping requirement changes after initialization, such as when SWIOTLB is enabled; no attacker-controlled input path is disclosed.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-23174
- Published
- Feb 14, 2026
- Updated
- Feb 14, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Feb 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Feb 14, 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.
- Affected versionversion=6.17
- Affected versionversion=b8b7570a7ec872f2a27b775c4f8710ca8a357adf <071be3b0b6575d45be9df9c5b612f5882bfc5e88
- Affected versionversion=b8b7570a7ec872f2a27b775c4f8710ca8a357adf <f3ed399e9aa6f36e92d2d0fe88b387915e9705fe
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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