Kernel crash via unchecked channel-path lookup
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
NULL dereference in Linux s390 common I/O allows attackers to crash the kernel via channel-path utility-string queries. The ccw_device_get_util_str() helper dereferences the result of chpid_to_chp() without checking for NULL when a removed channel-path registry entry remains referenced by a subchannel's PMCW. Reachability requires this stale-reference condition; attacker control over it and required privileges are undocumented.
Summary
What happened
NULL dereference in Linux s390 common I/O allows attackers to crash the kernel via channel-path utility-string queries. The ccw_device_get_util_str() helper dereferences the result of chpid_to_chp() without checking for NULL when a removed channel-path registry entry remains referenced by a subchannel's PMCW. Reachability requires this stale-reference condition; attacker control over it and required privileges are undocumented.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98476
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 18, 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=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <27e396a89f76f742abdbe9f8c4a58a6e806fdf59
- Affected versionversion=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <44b16b02608058fc72198ac0205969f0f43065df
- Affected versionversion=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <5b76268dac968612f7283d59b539036de955b7d9
- Affected versionversion=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <5e006ac90a4d331db1dd712b91fec849b45ffc01
- Affected versionversion=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <5fc54e04dad90b15d0430118b3f288a1d64e66c9
- Affected versionversion=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <9d8b21820caed9128945fffcedf03e2a4c21eee2
- Affected versionversion=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <c3bbcb32deecc06ebb1762398399b566d5ff2fc9
- Affected versionversion=199652309a4d6635fca19d7528d73ab9e219bd9a <dbf30e661ceb9a52c94c85719716391dcc29142a
- Affected versionversion=4.18
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
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
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Technologies
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