VulnerabilityAnalyzed

CVE-2026-53042

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fwctl: Fix class init ordering to avoid NULL pointer dereference on device removal CXL is linked before fwctl in drivers/Makefile.

MEDIUM 5.5EPSS 0.12%

Does this matter?

Lower severity and a low EPSS score (0.12%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fwctl: Fix class init ordering to avoid NULL pointer dereference on device removal CXL is linked before fwctl in drivers/Makefile. Both use `module_init, so `cxl_pci_driver_init()` runs first. When `cxl_pci_probe()` calls `fwctl_register()` and then `device_add()`, fwctl_class is not yet registered because fwctl_init() hasn't run, causing `class_to_subsys()` to return NULL and skip knode_class initialization. On device removal, `class_to_subsys()` returns non-NULL, and `device_del()` calls `klist_del()` on the uninitialized knode, triggering a NULL pointer dereference.

CVSS 3.1: 5.5 MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
EPSS: 0.12% probability · 2th percentile
CISA KEV: Not listed
Weakness: CWE-824
Affected: linux/linux kernel
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

References

Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.