Kernel crash via discarded GPU mapping errors
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Error handling in Linux's PowerVR driver allows local users to crash the kernel via failed GPU virtual-memory mappings. In pvr_mmu_map_sgl(), cleanup overwrites the original mapping error with its own return value, letting pvr_mmu_map() continue into a NULL-pointer dereference. Reaching this path requires access to the affected GPU driver and a mapping failure; the published trace establishes a kernel crash, not code execution.
Summary
What happened
Error handling in Linux's PowerVR driver allows local users to crash the kernel via failed GPU virtual-memory mappings. In pvr_mmu_map_sgl(), cleanup overwrites the original mapping error with its own return value, letting pvr_mmu_map() continue into a NULL-pointer dereference. Reaching this path requires access to the affected GPU driver and a mapping failure; the published trace establishes a kernel crash, not code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98522
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=6.8
- Affected versionversion=ff5f643de0bf27874c4033cd57a0bd034b5c7d11 <13c7ae1d92ceea18d55612fa9431ca5ac77025f5
- Affected versionversion=ff5f643de0bf27874c4033cd57a0bd034b5c7d11 <7b824c293a6b56de8285a97984c507cba56bc4c4
- Affected versionversion=ff5f643de0bf27874c4033cd57a0bd034b5c7d11 <afe5b4d66d45b278ecd0e3d6889fb208ce2e5339
- Affected versionversion=ff5f643de0bf27874c4033cd57a0bd034b5c7d11 <d30ea2747164992f5e720f6f53695d422bdc0346
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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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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Your stack
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