Kernel crash via f2fs checkpoint thread dereference
Published Sep 16, 2026 · Updated Sep 16, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux f2fs allows attackers with local sysfs write access to crash the kernel on a read-only mount. The ckpt_thread_ioprio store path calls set_task_ioprio() with a NULL f2fs_issue_ckpt task when checkpoint merging is enabled but no checkpoint thread exists. Exploitation requires permission to write the mounted filesystem's sysfs attribute; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel fault and service interruption.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux f2fs allows attackers with local sysfs write access to crash the kernel on a read-only mount. The ckpt_thread_ioprio store path calls set_task_ioprio() with a NULL f2fs_issue_ckpt task when checkpoint merging is enabled but no checkpoint thread exists. Exploitation requires permission to write the mounted filesystem's sysfs attribute; the demonstrated consequence is a kernel fault and service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-89835
- Published
- Sep 16, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 16, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 16, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 16, 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=5.12
- Affected versionversion=e65920661708b7c0f3db45c9cd5d0095034ee37f <5cb33b00c8fbb6e8f1fa3d281c3036d5f7c7c41f
- Affected versionversion=e65920661708b7c0f3db45c9cd5d0095034ee37f <8f3b99c50dd0da1777994ce7c7e60d39b9f60f4b
- Affected versionversion=e65920661708b7c0f3db45c9cd5d0095034ee37f <a6573f3ffc19542de9ebc1a2b1f930fd48ba538c
- Affected versionversion=e65920661708b7c0f3db45c9cd5d0095034ee37f <aefcec3bebdeed2bff444378122300763325ba23
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
- Read-only f2fs ckpt_thread_ioprio crash reproducerproof of concept · demonstrated
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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