CVE-2026-98812

/// Technical description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net/mctp: publish the mctp_dev only after it is initialised

mctp_add_dev() links the new mctp_dev into dev->mctp_ptr before mdev->dev

is assigned, so a reader that picks the device up in that window

dereferences a net_device pointer that is still NULL:

KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x00000000000000b0-0x00000000000000b7]

Call Trace:

<TASK>

? __pfx_mctp_sendmsg (./include/linux/sockptr.h:49)

? __pfx_mctp_dst_output (net/mctp/route.c:41)

? selinux_socket_sendmsg (security/selinux/hooks.c:5278)

____sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:775 (discriminator 1) net/socket.c:790

(discriminator 1) net/socket.c:2684 (discriminator 1))

? __pfx_____sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:1131)

? __pfx_copy_msghdr_from_user (net/socket.c:2590)

? update_cfs_rq_load_avg (kernel/sched/fair.c:5478)

___sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2738)

? __pfx____sys_sendmsg (net/socket.c:2625)

? perf_event_task_tick (./include/linux/rcupdate.h:838)

? sched_tick (

/// Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

/// References