CVE-2026-31458: linux kernel vulnerability

What is known

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/damon/sysfs: check contexts->nr before accessing contexts_arr[0] Multiple sysfs command paths dereference contexts_arr[0] without first verifying that kdamond->contexts->nr == 1. A user can set nr_contexts to 0 via sysfs while DAMON is running, causing NULL pointer dereferences. In more detail, the issue can be triggered by privileged users like below. First, start DAMON and make contexts directory empty (kdamond->contexts->nr == 0). # damo start # cd /sys/kernel/mm/damon/admin/kdamonds/0 # echo 0 > contexts/nr_contexts Then, each of below commands will cause the NULL pointer dereference. # echo update_schemes_stats > state # echo update_schemes_tried_regions > state # echo update_schemes_tried_bytes > state # echo update_schemes_effective_quotas > state # echo update_tuned_intervals > state Guard all commands (except OFF) at the entry point of damon_sysfs_handle_cmd().

Business impact

Successful exploitation of CVE-2026-31458, a medium vulnerability (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel, may affect the confidentiality, integrity or availability of the vulnerable environment. The exact impact depends on the installed version, exposed interfaces and deployment configuration.

Recommended administrator action

Confirm whether linux kernel is present and compare installed versions with the vendor advisory and NVD record. Apply the vendor patch or documented mitigation; until remediation is complete, reduce exposure of affected interfaces, review relevant logs and monitor for indicators of exploitation. DataHouse can support version verification, managed patching, network exposure reduction, log review and backup validation for dedicated, cloud and colocated environments.

Sources

• NVD
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