#VU124496 NULL Pointer Dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-23353
Published: March 25, 2026
Linux kernel
Linux Foundation
Description
The vulnerability allows a local user to cause a denial of service (system crash) due to a NULL pointer dereference.
The vulnerability exists due to improper initialization in the ice network driver's Rx ring when handling ethtool offline loopback tests. A local user can execute a specially crafted ethtool command to trigger a NULL pointer dereference, leading to a kernel crash.
The issue specifically occurs because the libeth interface is not initialized for the receive ring in loopback test virtual switch instances (VSI), resulting in a NULL pointer dereference during buffer allocation.