Kernel crash via uninitialized framebuffer restoration
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
A NULL pointer dereference in Linux DRM fbdev restoration allows local users to trigger a kernel crash by closing a DRM descriptor. drm_fbdev_client_restore() unconditionally restores a registered client after failed framebuffer initialization has cleared its fbdev state. Reaching the crash requires DRM descriptor access and an earlier initialization failure; attacker control over that failure is not established.
Summary
What happened
A NULL pointer dereference in Linux DRM fbdev restoration allows local users to trigger a kernel crash by closing a DRM descriptor. drm_fbdev_client_restore() unconditionally restores a registered client after failed framebuffer initialization has cleared its fbdev state. Reaching the crash requires DRM descriptor access and an earlier initialization failure; attacker control over that failure is not established.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98523
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- 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?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=5d08c44e47b9d41366714552bdd374ac4b595591 <1fca688e9443003e33cf30453e7a7560367656c9
- Affected versionversion=5d08c44e47b9d41366714552bdd374ac4b595591 <a69c4b678db808c0d89abb8cedeaaac38d1ef182
- Affected versionversion=5d08c44e47b9d41366714552bdd374ac4b595591 <fcbedba553a9c430079ee225df2dc7ab556a2f83
- Affected versionversion=6.12.19 <6.12.112
- Affected versionversion=6.13
- Affected versionversion=7f5535fcbba2ce7f1908ee7e5c350032a4b1e9d0 <11edd5b6735d2e1069ddce672b1836713647f7fb
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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
No public exploit references are available in this record.
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Technologies
Your stack
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