CVE-2026-52941: net/smc: avoid NULL deref of conn->lnk in smc_msg_event tracepoint
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/smc: avoid NULL deref of conn->lnk in smcmsgevent tracepoint
The smcmsgevent tracepoint class, shared by smctxsendmsg and smcrxrecvmsg, unconditionally dereferences smc->conn.lnk:
string(name, smc->conn.lnk->ibname)
conn->lnk is only set for SMC-R; for SMC-D it is NULL. Other code on these paths already handles this (e.g. !conn->lnk in SMCSTATRMBTXSIZESMALL()). With the tracepoint enabled, the first sendmsg()/recvmsg() on an SMC-D socket crashes:
Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [...] RIP: 0010:strlen+0x1e/0xa0 Call Trace: traceeventraweventsmcmsgevent (net/smc/smctracepoint.h:44) smcrxrecvmsg (net/smc/smcrx.c:515) smcrecvmsg (net/smc/afsmc.c:2859) sysrecvfrom (net/socket.c:2315) x64sysrecvfrom (net/socket.c:2326) dosyscall64
The faulting address 0x3e0 is offsetof(struct smclink, ibname), confirming the NULL ->lnk deref. Enabling the tracepoint requires root, but the trigger itself is unprivileged: socket(AFSMC, ...) has no capability check, and SMC-D negotiation needs no admin step on s390 or on x86 with the loopback ISM device loaded.
Log an empty device name for SMC-D instead of dereferencing NULL.
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-52941?
CVE-2026-52941 has a risk severity score of 30.
How do I fix CVE-2026-52941?
To fix CVE-2026-52941, update your Linux kernel to the latest version that contains the patch.
What systems are affected by CVE-2026-52941?
CVE-2026-52941 affects the Linux kernel, specifically in the net/smc module.
What is the impact of CVE-2026-52941?
The impact of CVE-2026-52941 is a potential NULL pointer dereference which can lead to system crashes.
When was CVE-2026-52941 published?
CVE-2026-52941 was published on June 24, 2026.