Kernel crash via unchecked inactive-driver testing
Published Sep 17, 2026 · Updated Sep 17, 2026
NULL dereference in Linux amd_pstate_ut allows local users to crash the kernel by loading the test module on Intel systems. The amd_pstate_ut_init function runs tests without checking whether amd-pstate is active, allowing amd_pstate_ut_check_perf to dereference a NULL pointer. The documented trigger requires the test module to be available and local module-loading privileges; the reported consequence is a kernel oops, not data disclosure or privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
NULL dereference in Linux amd_pstate_ut allows local users to crash the kernel by loading the test module on Intel systems. The amd_pstate_ut_init function runs tests without checking whether amd-pstate is active, allowing amd_pstate_ut_check_perf to dereference a NULL pointer. The documented trigger requires the test module to be available and local module-loading privileges; the reported consequence is a kernel oops, not data disclosure or privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-92493
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 17, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- admin
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 17, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 17, 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=14eb1c96e3a3fd9cd377ac9af3c7a410f8bf1015 <8d31bb1451643f328db0cea0e21e63ef54b4faf2
- Affected versionversion=14eb1c96e3a3fd9cd377ac9af3c7a410f8bf1015 <ba6ce23d17db3d114adf13909a9002f1eedcf183
- Affected versionversion=14eb1c96e3a3fd9cd377ac9af3c7a410f8bf1015 <baf5a7fd3f3e2f4297b42b249f4f4f63214f44c0
- Affected versionversion=6.1
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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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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