Kernel crash via unset submission pointer
Published Apr 24, 2026 · Updated Apr 24, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel i915 graphics driver allows local users to crash the kernel during system suspend. The fault occurs in intel_engines_reset_default_submission(), which calls an unset set_default_submission function pointer when i915 firmware binaries are absent. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access, an i915-equipped system without the firmware, and a suspend operation; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel oops and service interruption.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel i915 graphics driver allows local users to crash the kernel during system suspend. The fault occurs in intel_engines_reset_default_submission(), which calls an unset set_default_submission function pointer when i915 firmware binaries are absent. Exploitation requires local low-privileged access, an i915-equipped system without the firmware, and a suspend operation; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel oops and service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-31540
- Published
- Apr 24, 2026
- Updated
- Apr 24, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 24, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Apr 24, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=4.12
- Affected versionversion=ff44ad51ebf8e4693bd66ae41aa37a6bc88a134f <0162ab3220bac870e43e229e6e3024d1a21c3f26
- Affected versionversion=ff44ad51ebf8e4693bd66ae41aa37a6bc88a134f <1a16150729db8d997e39519f9d58e6b435c4c087
- Affected versionversion=ff44ad51ebf8e4693bd66ae41aa37a6bc88a134f <2e20a886b443a71b573ceaed3ca7053d15380916
- Affected versionversion=ff44ad51ebf8e4693bd66ae41aa37a6bc88a134f <cf4b224ffb9a58181be32b64130fc36cf59c3192
- Affected versionversion=ff44ad51ebf8e4693bd66ae41aa37a6bc88a134f <da6552d67012a1cf0585f2eb401d0c4abcf108c9
- Affected versionversion=ff44ad51ebf8e4693bd66ae41aa37a6bc88a134f <db8b1bebe81ffb410ddd746b6869f72e22420850
- Affected versionversion=ff44ad51ebf8e4693bd66ae41aa37a6bc88a134f <df1f4a7d9cf689b4e96c95255228896505f44c31
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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Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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