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Fencer Vulns
high 8.8

CVE-2026-53281 json

iommu/vt-d: Avoid NULL pointer dereference or refcount corruption

published 2026-06-26 4 mo ago modified 2026-10-21 18 d ago also EUVD-2026-39886

cvss
8.8
version 3.1, CNA
cisa kev
Not listed
not in CISA's catalog
epss
0.1%
EPSS 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days, percentile 3%
public exploits
0
none known

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

iommu/vt-d: Avoid NULL pointer dereference or refcount corruption

Commit 60f030f7418d ("iommu/vt-d: Avoid use of NULL after WARN_ON_ONCE") fixed a NULL pointer dereference in an unlikely situation partly.

If dev_pasid is not found in the dev_pasids list, it remains NULL. However, the teardown operations are executed unconditionally, this lead to a NULL pointer dereference or refcount corruption.

If the domain was never attached to this IOMMU, info will be NULL, which would cause an immediate dereference when checking --info->refcnt.

Even if info is not NULL, decrementing the refcount without having removed a valid PASID might unbalance the count. This could lead to premature dropping of the refcount to 0, potentially causing a use-after-free for the remaining active devices sharing the domain.

Fix it by returning early if dev_pasid is NULL, before executing the teardown operations.

Issue found by AI review and suggested by Kevin Tian. https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20260421031347.1408890-1-zhenzhong.duan%40intel.com

Patch / fix

  • Linux Linux 6.12.114, 6.14, 6.18.33, 7.0.10, 7.1
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 0:6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 0:5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • linux Debian 13 6.12.115-2
  • linux Debian 14 7.0.10-1

debian advisories DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53281

  • linux Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-28.28
  • linux-aws Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-1009.9
  • linux-gcp Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-1008.8
  • linux-gke Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-1003.4
  • linux-ibm Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-1010.10
  • linux-azure Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-1010.10
  • linux-raspi Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-1015.15
  • linux-riscv Ubuntu 26.04 LTS 7.0.0-28.28.1

ubuntu advisories UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53281

Ubuntu security data © Canonical Ltd., from https://github.com/canonical/ubuntu-security-notices via OSV; changed: normalised to fixed package versions per release. CC BY-SA 4.0

  • kernel RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • rv RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • perf RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • rtla RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • libperf RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • kernel-rt RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • kernel-64k RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • kernel-core RHEL 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8

red hat advisories RHSA-2026:47040RHSA-2026:47017

  • kernel-syms SLES 16.0, Linux Micro Extras 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-obs-build Linux Micro Extras 6.2 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-rt Linux Micro 6.2 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-64kb SLES 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-source SLES 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-default SLES 16.0, SLE High Availability Extension 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2 +1 more 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-default-base SLES 16.0, Linux Micro 6.2, SLES for SAP applications 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1.160000.2.17
  • kernel-azure SLES for SAP applications 16.0, SLES 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1

suse advisories SUSE-SU-2026:22742-1SUSE-SU-2026:22769-1SUSE-SU-2026:22835-1SUSE-SU-2026:22812-1SUSE-SU-2026:2800-1SUSE-SU-2026:2799-1

  • kernel-rt openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • dtb-aarch64 openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-64kb openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-syms openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-azure openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-obs-qa openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-source openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1
  • kernel-default openSUSE Leap 16.0 6.12.0-160000.36.1

opensuse advisories openSUSE-SU-2026:21388-1

  • kernel AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • rv AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • perf AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • rtla AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • libperf AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • kernel-rt AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • kernel-64k AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
  • kernel-core AlmaLinux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2

almalinux advisories ALSA-2026:47017ALSA-2026:47040

  • kernel Rocky Linux 9 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
  • kernel Rocky Linux 10 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2

rocky linux advisories RLSA-2026:47040RLSA-2026:47017

Vendor advisories

What the vendors themselves say about their products: affected, fixed or not affected, and what to do.

red hat product security vex CVE-2026-53281 updated cvss 5.5

kernel: iommu/vt-d: Avoid NULL pointer dereference or refcount corruption

  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 9) rv 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, perf 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, rtla 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, python3-perf 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-devel-matched 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-devel-matched 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, +7 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47040
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux AppStream (v. 10) rv 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, perf 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, rtla 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, python3-perf 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-devel-matched 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-devel-matched 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, +7 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47017
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 9) kernel 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-64k 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-tools 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-modules 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-64k-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, +27 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47040
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 10) kernel 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-64k 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-tools 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-modules 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-64k-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, +28 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47017
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 9) libperf 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47040
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CodeReady Linux Builder (v. 10) libperf 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-debuginfo-common-s390x 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-debuginfo-common-ppc64le 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47017
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 9) kernel-rt 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-modules 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-64k-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, +14 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47040
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time (v. 10) kernel-rt 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-modules 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-64k-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-debug-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, +14 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47017
show 3 more
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 9) kernel-rt 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-modules 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-modules-core 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, kernel-rt-debug-modules 5.14.0-687.31.1.el9_8, +4 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47040
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux Real Time for NFV (v. 10) kernel-rt 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-modules 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-debug-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-modules-core 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, kernel-rt-debug-modules 6.12.0-211.40.1.el10_2, +4 more
    fixed: vendor fix RHSA-2026:47017
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 perf, kernel, python-perf, kernel-kdump, kernel-firmware, kernel-bootwrapper, +1 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, python-perf, kernel-kdump, +8 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 perf, kernel, bpftool, kernel-rt, kernel-core, kernel-tools, +29 more Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 kernel-rt, kernel-rt-kvm, kernel-rt-core, kernel-rt-modules, kernel-rt-debug-kvm, kernel-rt-debug-core, +12 more
    not affected: vulnerable code not present

Red Hat CSAF VEX © Red Hat, Inc., from https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/; changed: reduced to product statuses and remediations. CC BY 4.0 · csaf

CISA SSVC

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
total
Assessed
23 d ago

Exploit prediction

0.14% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 3% of all scored CVEs (FIRST EPSS, 2026-11-08).

CVSS scores

assigned by version score vector
CNA 3.1 8.8 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H
CISA ADP 3.1 5.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CNA 3.1 5.5 CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Affected products

  • Linux Linux
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8

Classification

Weakness
Technology feeds

References

Sources

Fencer Vulns keeps one entry per vulnerability: the CVE id wins, then GHSA, and records that alias each other are merged, except that two CVEs always keep separate entries. The same data is available as JSON.