Linux Kernel up to 7.0.9 libceph decode_choose_args null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 7.0.9 and classified as critical. The affected element is the function decode_choose_args of the component libceph. The manipulation leads to null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2026-52957. There is no available exploit. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, has been found in Linux Kernel up to 7.0.9. This issue affects the function decode_choose_args of the component libceph. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a null pointer dereference vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-476. A NULL pointer dereference occurs when the application dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid, but is NULL, typically causing a crash or exit. Impacted is availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: libceph: Fix potential null-ptr-deref in decode_choose_args() A message of type CEPH_MSG_OSD_MAP contains an OSD map that itself contains a CRUSH map. When decoding this CRUSH map in crush_decode(), an array of max_buckets CRUSH buckets is decoded, where some indices may not refer to actual buckets and are therefore set to NULL. The received CRUSH map may optionally contain choose_args that get decoded in decode_choose_args(). When decoding a crush_choose_arg_map, a series of choose_args for different buckets is decoded, with the bucket_index being read from the incoming message. It is only checked that the bucket index does not exceed max_buckets, but not that it doesn't point to an index with a NULL bucket. If a (potentially corrupted) message contains a crush_choose_arg_map including such a bucket_index, a null pointer dereference may occur in the subsequent processing when attempting to access the bucket with the given index. This patch fixes the issue by extending the affected check. Now, it is only attempted to access the bucket if it is not NULL.

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2026-52957 since 06/09/2026. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available.

Upgrading to version 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.141, 6.12.91, 6.18.33 or 7.0.10 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch d55ffad8d422b5d1cc44dad32bd3d25f4471cd9f/301286c0ccd37d66b0e40786fd35a4f19cdbd88a/7169f326a23d0f547fcd90e68b72fd387622e126/d7a65a34d2453f8cd3e0cc0e1319740af7e24276/312ec973efac0efb9b9ed64214235910e9ecbaa8/f2f95e6d4b97e70bb876139b0583fc8079983f85/a20e16ebfe2fa65348eb4b2dc7deac330ce03e9c/28b0a2ab8c82d0bbdeb8013029c67c978ce6e4bf is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.10.257
• 5.15.208
• 6.1.174
• 6.6.140
• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4
• 6.12.5
• 6.12.6
• 6.12.7
• 6.12.8
• 6.12.9
• 6.12.10
• 6.12.11
• 6.12.12
• 6.12.13
• 6.12.14
• 6.12.15
• 6.12.16
• 6.12.17
• 6.12.18
• 6.12.19
• 6.12.20
• 6.12.21
• 6.12.22
• 6.12.23
• 6.12.24
• 6.12.25
• 6.12.26
• 6.12.27
• 6.12.28
• 6.12.29
• 6.12.30
• 6.12.31
• 6.12.32
• 6.12.33
• 6.12.34
• 6.12.35
• 6.12.36
• 6.12.37
• 6.12.38
• 6.12.39
• 6.12.40
• 6.12.41
• 6.12.42
• 6.12.43
• 6.12.44
• 6.12.45
• 6.12.46
• 6.12.47
• 6.12.48
• 6.12.49
• 6.12.50
• 6.12.51
• 6.12.52
• 6.12.53
• 6.12.54
• 6.12.55
• 6.12.56
• 6.12.57
• 6.12.58
• 6.12.59
• 6.12.60
• 6.12.61
• 6.12.62
• 6.12.63
• 6.12.64
• 6.12.65
• 6.12.66
• 6.12.67
• 6.12.68
• 6.12.69
• 6.12.70
• 6.12.71
• 6.12.72
• 6.12.73
• 6.12.74
• 6.12.75
• 6.12.76
• 6.12.77
• 6.12.78
• 6.12.79
• 6.12.80
• 6.12.81
• 6.12.82
• 6.12.83
• 6.12.84
• 6.12.85
• 6.12.86
• 6.12.87
• 6.12.88
• 6.12.89
• 6.12.90
• 6.18.0
• 6.18.1
• 6.18.2
• 6.18.3
• 6.18.4
• 6.18.5
• 6.18.6
• 6.18.7
• 6.18.8
• 6.18.9
• 6.18.10
• 6.18.11
• 6.18.12
• 6.18.13
• 6.18.14
• 6.18.15
• 6.18.16
• 6.18.17
• 6.18.18
• 6.18.19
• 6.18.20
• 6.18.21
• 6.18.22
• 6.18.23
• 6.18.24
• 6.18.25
• 6.18.26
• 6.18.27
• 6.18.28
• 6.18.29
• 6.18.30
• 6.18.31
• 6.18.32
• 7.0.0
• 7.0.1
• 7.0.2
• 7.0.3
• 7.0.4
• 7.0.5
• 7.0.6
• 7.0.7
• 7.0.8
• 7.0.9

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

CVSSv3info

CVSSv2info

Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Discussion