CVE-2026-98508: Linux kernel · drm/virtio: fix NULL pointer dereference on fence allocation failure
Source GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · fixed in f2f1683955b95c9b958069da3050f7e8e129ff88 : 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 9% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in f2f1683955b95c9b958069da3050f7e8e129ff88, ecced0076b700b5896e52af10d0776be8be36b0d, a8b83ed4a4b1d04c756f53e375e86d3881f66e72 +4
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 18 Oct 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
|
| LinuxLinux | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Linuxlinux/kernelpkg:deb/linux/kernelOther 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
A fix for this vulnerability has been applied in the Linux kernel. Users should update to a kernel version that includes this patch to prevent the NULL pointer dereference. Since this is a kernel-level issue, applying the official kernel update is the recommended remediation. Patch status is not explicitly confirmed in the provided data; users should verify with the vendor or kernel release notes for the specific fixed version.
Description
A NULL pointer dereference vulnerability in the Linux kernel's drm/virtio driver was resolved. The issue occurs when virtio_gpu_fence_alloc() fails due to memory pressure and returns NULL, but the caller functions do not check for this failure. This leads to a NULL pointer dereference in virtio_gpu_fence_event_create(), causing a kernel crash (general protection fault). The flaw was discovered through fuzz testing with Syzkaller and affects the virtio GPU driver component.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98508 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/846b3c64fe3e77d9db20a7e3e62dbbb637c773e1 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9571ab7493561afb4624d69572a7ebb67d76d10f (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a8b83ed4a4b1d04c756f53e375e86d3881f66e72 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ecced0076b700b5896e52af10d0776be8be36b0d (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f2f1683955b95c9b958069da3050f7e8e129ff88 (opens in a new tab)