CVE-2026-31442
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's dmaengine: idxd component. During a Function Level Reset (FLR), if the system fails to allocate the scratch area for saved configuration after a successful initial reset, it can lead to an invalid memory access. This vulnerability could result in system instability or denial of service.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Moderate severity because exploitation requires local access, specific Intel hardware accelerators, and a failure condition during consecutive device resets to trigger an invalid pointer dereference. The flaw is confined to systems utilizing the Intel Data Streaming Accelerator (DSA) idxd driver. Systems lacking compatible accelerator hardware or not actively performing device resets are not exposed to this issue, restricting the potential blast radius to local denial of service on configured hosts.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 5.5 | N/A | 7.8 |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | Local |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | Low |
| Privileges Required | Low | N/A | Low |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | None |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | Unchanged |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | High |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | High |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | High |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
cve.org: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory
If the uninitialized pointer is used in a read operation, it might not point to a valid memory location. An attacker might be able to read sensitive portions of memory.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
If the uninitialized pointer references a memory location that is not accessible to the product, or points to a location that is "malformed" (such as NULL) or larger than expected by a read or write operation, then a crash may occur.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
If the uninitialized pointer is used in a function call, or points to unexpected data in a write operation, then code execution may be possible. If the uninitialized pointer is used as a function call, then arbitrary functions could be invoked.
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