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CVE-2026-98523

Linux: drm/client: fix restore of partially initialized client

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.21%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 10% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed in11edd5b6735d2e1069ddce672b1836713647f7fbAlso 1fca688e9443003e33cf30453e7a7560367656c9, 6.12.112CVE List
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

  • 11edd5b6735d2e1069ddce672b1836713647f7fbLinuxCVE List
  • 1fca688e9443003e33cf30453e7a7560367656c9LinuxCVE List
  • 6.12.112LinuxCVE 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:

drm/client: fix restore of partially initialized client

I got a null-ptr-deref report when closing a DRM file descriptor:

WARNING: drivers/gpu/drm/drm_atomic.c:2031 at __drm_atomic_helper_set_config+0x18e/0x1b0 [drm]

Call Trace: drm_client_modeset_commit_atomic+0x16b/0x220 [drm] drm_client_modeset_commit_locked+0x56/0x160 [drm] drm_client_modeset_commit+0x21/0x40 [drm] __drm_fb_helper_restore_fbdev_mode_unlocked.part.0+0x7b/0x80 drm_fbdev_client_restore+0xe/0x20 [drm_client_lib] drm_client_dev_restore+0x9f/0xc0 [drm] drm_release+0xc5/0xe0 [drm]

The warning is followed by a NULL pointer dereference:

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008

RIP: __drm_fb_helper_restore_fbdev_mode_unlocked.part.0+0x41/0x80 [drm_kms_helper]

Call Trace: drm_fbdev_client_restore+0xe/0x20 [drm_client_lib] drm_client_dev_restore+0x9f/0xc0 [drm] drm_release+0xc5/0xe0 [drm] __fput+0xdc/0x2b0 __x64_sys_close+0x39/0x80 do_syscall_64+0x8d/0x460 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

drm_client_register() adds the DRM client to the device client list before invoking the initial hotplug callback. If the hotplug callback fails, the client remains registered.

For the fbdev client, a failure during drm_fb_helper_initial_config() causes the partially initialized fbdev helper to be cleaned up. drm_fb_helper_fini() releases fb_helper->info and leaves it NULL.

The fbdev client therefore remains registered even though there is no fully initialized framebuffer device.

Later, when userspace closes the DRM file descriptor, drm_release() can invoke the restore callbacks of registered DRM clients:

drm_release() drm_client_dev_restore() drm_fbdev_client_restore() drm_fb_helper_restore_fbdev_mode_unlocked()

drm_fbdev_client_restore() currently restores the fbdev state unconditionally. For a partially initialized fbdev client this can submit an incomplete modeset state and subsequently access fbdev state which has not been initialized, resulting in the warning and NULL pointer dereference above.

drm_fbdev_client_unregister() already uses fb_helper->info to distinguish a fully probed framebuffer device from a partially initialized client.

Use the same condition in drm_fbdev_client_restore() and skip restore if no framebuffer device has been successfully initialized.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 11

  • Linuxaffected: 7f5535fcbba2ce7f1908ee7e5c350032a4b1e9d0 before 11edd5b6735d2e1069ddce672b1836713647f7fbCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5d08c44e47b9d41366714552bdd374ac4b595591 before fcbedba553a9c430079ee225df2dc7ab556a2f83CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5d08c44e47b9d41366714552bdd374ac4b595591 before a69c4b678db808c0d89abb8cedeaaac38d1ef182CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5d08c44e47b9d41366714552bdd374ac4b595591 before 1fca688e9443003e33cf30453e7a7560367656c9CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.12.19 before 6.12.112CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.13CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 6.13CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.112 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.55 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.9 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 4