# CVE-2024-26716: usb: core: Prevent null pointer dereference in update_port_device_state

> A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel USB core allows local attackers to cause a system crash via specific USB device states.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Apr 2024
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-26716, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-26716, GHSA-78j7-xmw6-68gr, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-26716

## What is CVE-2024-26716?

CVE-2024-26716 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 3 Apr 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

usb: core: Prevent null pointer dereference in update_port_device_state

Currently, the function update_port_device_state gets the usb_hub from
udev->parent by calling usb_hub_to_struct_hub.
However, in case the actconfig or the maxchild is 0, the usb_hub would
be NULL and upon further accessing to get port_dev would result in null
pointer dereference.

Fix this by introducing an if check after the usb_hub is populated.

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-26716?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-26716?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-26716 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26716 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-26716 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-26716 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 3 Apr 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26716 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26716/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26716/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-26716
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-26716
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-26716

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26716/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.