CVE-2026-97431
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's AMD display driver. When updating display streams, the driver improperly handles phantom streams that have already been destroyed, triggering a null pointer dereference. A local attacker can trigger this issue during display power management operations, leading to a kernel crash and a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
A NULL pointer dereference in the AMD DisplayPort link test path can occur when both a normal stream and its associated phantom stream are processed for DPMS on. Processing the normal stream may destroy the phantom stream, while the later operation still attempts to process the phantom entry and reaches invalid state. A connected DisplayPort monitor, dock, adapter, or test device may be able to reach this path by initiating a DP link test or retraining event when the affected phantom stream configuration is active. For the CVSS the PR:N value is used because an adjacent DisplayPort device does not need an authenticated user account or privileges on the victim system. The issue is adjacent rather than remotely reachable over an IP network. Base attack complexity is high because the failure depends on AMD display hardware, phantom stream usage, and a specific stream update sequence. Impact is denial of service through a kernel NULL pointer dereference or disruption of the graphics subsystem. There is no concrete evidence of an information disclosure, controlled write, or privilege escalation primitive.
Mitigation
Mitigation for this issue is either not available or the currently available options don't meet the Red Hat Product Security criteria comprising ease of use and deployment, applicability to widespread installation base or stability.
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 | 6.2 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | None | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
NULL pointer dereferences usually result in the failure of the process unless exception handling (on some platforms) is available and implemented. Even when exception handling is being used, it can still be very difficult to return the software to a safe state of operation.
Integrity,Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands; Read Memory; Modify Memory
In rare circumstances, when NULL is equivalent to the 0x0 memory address and privileged code can access it, then writing or reading memory is possible, which may lead to code execution.
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