CVE-2026-98523
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Direct Rendering Manager (DRM) subsystem. A local user can cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by closing a DRM device file descriptor associated with a partially initialized client. Because the kernel fails to properly unregister an incomplete framebuffer client after initialization errors, subsequent cleanup operations trigger a null-pointer dereference that crashes the system.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Moderate because successful exploitation requires local authenticated access and specific display initialization failures, limiting the blast radius to a denial of service without compromising data confidentiality or integrity. On standard Red Hat Enterprise Linux installations, Direct Rendering Manager devices are not typically accessible to unprivileged users or exposed on headless servers. Consequently, the flaw cannot be triggered remotely and requires specific error states during graphics device setup followed by the release of the associated file handle.
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 | 4.7 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | High | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | Low | 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:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
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