Linux Kernel up to 7.2.7/7.3-rc3 RDMA/rtrs init_path null pointer dereference

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical has been found in Linux Kernel up to 7.2.7/7.3-rc3. This impacts the function init_path of the component RDMA/rtrs. The manipulation leads to null pointer dereference. This vulnerability is listed as CVE-2026-98355. The attack may be initiated remotely. There is no available exploit. It is recommended to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 7.2.7/7.3-rc3 and classified as critical. This issue affects the function init_path of the component RDMA/rtrs. 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 confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: RDMA/rtrs: guard against null kobj name In the client, if `init_path()` errors, the callee tries to clean up with `rtrs_clt_close_conns()`. However, this can lead to calling the event tracing code with `clt_path->kobj->name` being `NULL` and thus causing a null pointer dereference when trying to copy from it. This just adds a guard to check that the name is not `NULL` before copying from it. The server appears to have a similar pattern.

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2026-98355 since 09/25/2026. The exploitation is known to be easy. The attack may be initiated remotely. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit. The pricing for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 10/06/2026).

Upgrading to version 7.2.8 or 7.3-rc4 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch f79cf42ff23f9120246cd6740eaa26f59c632a4a/99c24a8968ebef0573825b5cb89d5985d51635b9 is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

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Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 7.2.0
• 7.2.1
• 7.2.2
• 7.2.3
• 7.2.4
• 7.2.5
• 7.2.6
• 7.2.7
• 7.3-rc1
• 7.3-rc2
• 7.3-rc3

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

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