Kernel fault via reordered dma-fence ops access
Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux 7.1 allows attackers to trigger a kernel fault through a dma-fence race on weakly ordered platforms. The dma_fence_timeline_name() and dma_fence_driver_name() readers load fence->ops before checking the signaled bit, while reordered producer updates can permit access after the pointer becomes NULL. Reachability requires the affected dma-fence path and weak memory ordering; the public record identifies neither an attacker-controlled trigger nor a confirmed system crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux 7.1 allows attackers to trigger a kernel fault through a dma-fence race on weakly ordered platforms. The dma_fence_timeline_name() and dma_fence_driver_name() readers load fence->ops before checking the signaled bit, while reordered producer updates can permit access after the pointer becomes NULL. Reachability requires the affected dma-fence path and weak memory ordering; the public record identifies neither an attacker-controlled trigger nor a confirmed system crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-72094
- Published
- Aug 15, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 15, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=7.1
- Affected versionversion=f4cc3ab824d6772a48ca9d9c74ac623b3309985d <035219a760edb35ae9a9e96beba7f122e26a997b
- Affected versionversion=f4cc3ab824d6772a48ca9d9c74ac623b3309985d <15ecfdf0ef6f6d874d0a26690d300857b39ebfd0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo