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CVE-2026-98098

Linux: tipc: fix NULL deref in tipc_named_node_up() on empty publication list

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.18%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 7% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in246a4b4aace490664927042e93400a6f940d197fAlso 6188cf0c989dea60f2efe800eaebb7d0bd16e2b2, 68619f965329d2f7b113a3d5811aa23198f39105CVE List
Published25 Sep 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 246a4b4aace490664927042e93400a6f940d197fLinuxCVE List
  • 6188cf0c989dea60f2efe800eaebb7d0bd16e2b2LinuxCVE List
  • 68619f965329d2f7b113a3d5811aa23198f39105LinuxCVE List

A fixed version on one release line is not the upgrade target for every line. Check your exact version and any vendor backports.

Description

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

tipc: fix NULL deref in tipc_named_node_up() on empty publication list

User-space applications can bind a large number of service addresses to one or more sockets. Each binding of a local-scope service address inserts one entry (publication) into the TIPC name table. If the number of these publications exceeds TIPC_MAX_PUBL (65535), protocol service types (such as node state and link state) are no longer inserted into the name table. This causes two issues:

  1. User-space applications subscribing to node or link up/down events

stop receiving notifications.

  1. A NULL pointer dereference can occur:

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 00000000000000d0 ... CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 0 Comm: swapper/0 Not tainted 7.2.0-rc4-default+ #5 PREEMPT(full) ... RIP: 0010:tipc_named_node_up (./include/linux/skbuff.h:2251 net/tipc/name_distr.c:195 net/tipc/name_distr.c:221) ... Call Trace: <IRQ> tipc_node_write_unlock (net/tipc/node.c:428) tipc_rcv (net/tipc/node.c:934 net/tipc/node.c:2189) tipc_udp_recv (net/tipc/udp_media.c:389)

Thread 1 (tipc_net_finalize) | Thread 2 (named_distribute) -----------------------------|----------------------------- | ... | list_for_each_entry(publ, pls, binding_node) { | ... | __skb_queue_tail(list, skb); | ... | } | ... | hdr = buf_msg(skb_peek_tail(list)); ... | tipc_nametbl_publish(); |

If 'tipc_nametbl_publish()' (Thread 1) fails because the number of local publications reaches TIPC_MAX_PUBL, list (Thread 2) will be empty. As a result, NULL is passed to 'buf_msg()', leading to a NULL pointer dereference.

Fix these issues by allowing protocol service types (node state, link state, and topology server) to be inserted into the name table unconditionally. This ensures that users subscribing to these types always receive notifications. In addition, the maximum number of local user publications is reduced to (TIPC_MAX_PUBL - 1). This ensures that the maximum bulk size calculated in tipc_link_set_queue_limits() remains valid.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 16

  • Linuxaffected: a5e7ac5ce134d8f72f59631011fafa7bbf7ca174 before 246a4b4aace490664927042e93400a6f940d197fCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: a5e7ac5ce134d8f72f59631011fafa7bbf7ca174 before 6188cf0c989dea60f2efe800eaebb7d0bd16e2b2CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: a5e7ac5ce134d8f72f59631011fafa7bbf7ca174 before b5344e459996afb45e30fdc407b41e6674793b21CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: a5e7ac5ce134d8f72f59631011fafa7bbf7ca174 before 68619f965329d2f7b113a3d5811aa23198f39105CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: a5e7ac5ce134d8f72f59631011fafa7bbf7ca174 before ad805326d874062f8bc72a94884f86046148cde3CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: a5e7ac5ce134d8f72f59631011fafa7bbf7ca174 before d0d82f1214f321143c5dbc2e48e4a4e6c4226895CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: a5e7ac5ce134d8f72f59631011fafa7bbf7ca174 before b3b76e9f4f2476f1135b2ba7743a821db4a0df4bCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 3.15CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 3.15CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 5.15.222 through 5.15.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.1.189 through 6.1.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.6.158 through 6.6.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.111 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.53 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.7 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 7