CVE-2026-43408
Severity CVSS v4.0:
Pending analysis
Type:
CWE-476
NULL Pointer Dereference
Publication date:
08/05/2026
Last modified:
21/05/2026
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:<br />
<br />
ceph: add a bunch of missing ceph_path_info initializers<br />
<br />
ceph_mdsc_build_path() must be called with a zero-initialized<br />
ceph_path_info parameter, or else the following<br />
ceph_mdsc_free_path_info() may crash.<br />
<br />
Example crash (on Linux 6.18.12):<br />
<br />
virt_to_cache: Object is not a Slab page!<br />
WARNING: CPU: 184 PID: 2871736 at mm/slub.c:6732 kmem_cache_free+0x316/0x400<br />
[...]<br />
Call Trace:<br />
[...]<br />
ceph_open+0x13d/0x3e0<br />
do_dentry_open+0x134/0x480<br />
vfs_open+0x2a/0xe0<br />
path_openat+0x9a3/0x1160<br />
[...]<br />
cache_from_obj: Wrong slab cache. names_cache but object is from ceph_inode_info<br />
WARNING: CPU: 184 PID: 2871736 at mm/slub.c:6746 kmem_cache_free+0x2dd/0x400<br />
[...]<br />
kernel BUG at mm/slub.c:634!<br />
Oops: invalid opcode: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI<br />
RIP: 0010:__slab_free+0x1a4/0x350<br />
<br />
Some of the ceph_mdsc_build_path() callers had initializers, but<br />
others had not, even though they were all added by commit 15f519e9f883<br />
("ceph: fix race condition validating r_parent before applying state").<br />
The ones without initializer are suspectible to random crashes. (I can<br />
imagine it could even be possible to exploit this bug to elevate<br />
privileges.)<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, these Ceph functions are undocumented and its semantics<br />
can only be derived from the code. I see that ceph_mdsc_build_path()<br />
initializes the structure only on success, but not on error.<br />
<br />
Calling ceph_mdsc_free_path_info() after a failed<br />
ceph_mdsc_build_path() call does not even make sense, but that&#39;s what<br />
all callers do, and for it to be safe, the structure must be<br />
zero-initialized. The least intrusive approach to fix this is<br />
therefore to add initializers everywhere.
Impact
Base Score 3.x
7.80
Severity 3.x
HIGH
Vulnerable products and versions
| CPE | From | Up to |
|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.12.48 (including) | 6.12.78 (excluding) |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.16.8 (including) | 6.17 (excluding) |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.17.1 (including) | 6.18.19 (excluding) |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.19 (including) | 6.19.9 (excluding) |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:-:*:*:*:*:*:* | ||
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* | ||
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.17:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* | ||
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | ||
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | ||
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* |
To consult the complete list of CPE names with products and versions, see this page



