CVE-2026-72316: Linux kernel · dm era: fix NULL pointer dereference in metadata_open()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124~20.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 12% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1123.132~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1122.131~20.04.1 +41
Exploitation 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 |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
An official patch is available and should be applied to affected linux-aws kernel versions. The fix changes the error handling in metadata_open() to return an error pointer instead of NULL, preventing the NULL pointer dereference. Users should update to patched kernel versions as per the vendor advisory.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's device mapper (dm) era subsystem caused a NULL pointer dereference due to improper handling of memory allocation failure in the metadata_open() function. The function metadata_open() returns NULL on allocation failure, but the caller era_ctr() only checks for error pointers, not NULL, leading to a NULL pointer dereference when accessing metadata. This issue has been fixed by changing the return to an error pointer consistent with similar code patterns. The vulnerability affects specific linux-aws kernel versions and has been patched.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72316 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/01c49eae7c6256f2d8cc08210a2bac3ee070e43a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/14e03ecd3b1b5fc03c082b27a2f8889f8290c30e (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/17eb2ab13edd0b06ce6f996c5fd450d7efabb2e8 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/889374b8e4a60d13fe4a5a8ae3a311ca93d1a2c3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ae672606c17891d90b282e3490b817620549599 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a705e056c2f3dd067fb2ff414f0537530baa090b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b69ea153d30ce19ca8997eeeca1e2219fae5a29b (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bd5a80128bdfc93b1cae935a70da000b8c483e6e (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-72316 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72316 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/9ae672606c17891d90b282e3490b817620549599 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8876-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8878-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8879-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8877-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8875-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8888-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8889-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8887-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8888-2 (opens in a new tab)