CVE-2026-68261

Local kernel crash via invalid VM context handle

Published Aug 10, 2026 · Updated Aug 10, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux allows local users to crash the kernel by submitting an invalid DRM VM-context handle. The Imagination GPU driver's context-creation ioctl treats a NULL return from pvr_vm_context_lookup() as valid because it tests the pointer with IS_ERR(), then dereferences it. Access to the PowerVR DRM device on a system with Imagination PowerVR hardware is required; exploitation causes a kernel oops and service interruption, with no reported data disclosure or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.21%
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 allows local users to crash the kernel by submitting an invalid DRM VM-context handle. The Imagination GPU driver's context-creation ioctl treats a NULL return from pvr_vm_context_lookup() as valid because it tests the pointer with IS_ERR(), then dereferences it. Access to the PowerVR DRM device on a system with Imagination PowerVR hardware is required; exploitation causes a kernel oops and service interruption, with no reported data disclosure or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-68261
Published
Aug 10, 2026
Updated
Aug 10, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 10, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 10, 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=6.8
  2. Affected versionversion=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <401fbe3b6bbb6c94c24ee8843b7beed5111491ac
  3. Affected versionversion=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <c45fafa69fe3f79e319369cf665da89868e3ef98
  4. Affected versionversion=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <ce97192087c659f2e0c0c2a627330c7edcc9eeb3
  5. Affected versionversion=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <cf385cf6e713eba0720651174dac0b2d2f5bb8f8

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=6.8; version=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <401fbe3b6bbb6c94c24ee8843b7beed5111491ac; version=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <c45fafa69fe3f79e319369cf665da89868e3ef98; version=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <ce97192087c659f2e0c0c2a627330c7edcc9eeb3; version=d2d79d29bb98a32c511f7339a8e93b47544fdeac <cf385cf6e713eba0720651174dac0b2d2f5bb8f8

Published CVSS scores

5.5Red HatCVSS: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

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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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
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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