CVE-2026-72036: Linux kernel · NULL Pointer Dereference
Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.8 High · fixed in fffeb2ab5eeb823d4c2330571a098f63237c9049 : patch Linux kernel soon.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 13:47 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- CISA SSVC
- Exploitation
- No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
- Automatable
- Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
- Technical impact
- Total control over the software or total information disclosure
CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-10-16.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in fffeb2ab5eeb823d4c2330571a098f63237c9049, eb1a9637f0bd84b5db8803af65dfb1f44785406f, 5889064919a1e5c0a9469c54895000414fc46944 +5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in
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Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/sched: sch_multiq: Replace direct dequeue call with peek and qdisc_dequeue_peeked multiq_dequeue() takes a packet from a band's child with a direct ->dequeue() call after multiq_peek() peeked it. When the child is non-work-conserving the peek stashes the skb in the child's gso_skb, so the direct dequeue returns a different skb and orphans the stash, desyncing the child's qlen/backlog. With a qfq child reached through a peeking parent (e.g. tbf) this re-enters the child on an emptied list and dereferences NULL, panicking the kernel from softirq on ordinary egress. Take the packet through qdisc_dequeue_peeked(), as sch_prio already does and as sch_red and sch_sfb were just fixed to do. The helper is a no-op when the child has no stash, so a work-conserving child is unaffected.
References
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e5fd9d14f2d228e7260251f2e4a1d41ba8f705a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/eb1a9637f0bd84b5db8803af65dfb1f44785406f (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7a5a1582710981ef6637de9f074a60a5b1d63222 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/86a61e46a1919e8abf4d227c204773dabb24068a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b9cc255e8089606b92b2adf504e334573682821 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5889064919a1e5c0a9469c54895000414fc46944 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/fffeb2ab5eeb823d4c2330571a098f63237c9049 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/54f6b0c843e228d499eb4b6bbb89df68cad9ad5d (opens in a new tab)