CVE-2026-99183
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Rocket accelerator driver. When unbinding an accelerator core while workloads are actively executing, the driver fails to properly search all remaining core slots during scheduler lookups, resulting in an unchecked null reference. A privileged local user could exploit this flaw to trigger a null pointer dereference, causing a system crash and a Denial of Service (DoS).
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as Moderate impact because triggering the condition requires elevated administrative privileges to unbind accelerator hardware devices, and exploitation is confined to a local denial of service without compromising confidentiality or data integrity. In typical Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments, specialized neural processing unit (NPU) hardware utilizing this driver is rarely deployed. Furthermore, normal administrative workflows do not dynamically detach active execution units while processing workloads, significantly reducing exposure in production systems.
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 | 4.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | High | 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:H/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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