# CVE-2026-22992: libceph: return the handler error from mon_handle_auth_done()

> A missing error check in the Ceph monitor authentication handler can lead to a NULL pointer dereference and kernel crash.

- **Severity:** High 7.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 23 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-78473, BELL-CVE-2026-22992, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-22992, GHSA-3fqc-v7hh-4m8x, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-22992, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-22992, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-22992, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-22992, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-22992

## What is CVE-2026-22992?

CVE-2026-22992 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 23 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

libceph: return the handler error from mon_handle_auth_done()

Currently any error from ceph_auth_handle_reply_done() is propagated
via finish_auth() but isn't returned from mon_handle_auth_done().  This
results in higher layers learning that (despite the monitor considering
us to be successfully authenticated) something went wrong in the
authentication phase and reacting accordingly, but msgr2 still trying
to proceed with establishing the session in the background.  In the
case of secure mode this can trigger a WARN in setup_crypto() and later
lead to a NULL pointer dereference inside of prepare_auth_signature().

Weakness: CWE-476 (NULL Pointer Dereference), CWE-754 (Improper Check for Unusual or Exceptional Conditions)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-22992?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-22992?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-22992 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-22992 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-2026-22992 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-22992 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 23 Jan 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-22992 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-2026-22992/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-22992/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-22992
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22992
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-22992

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-22992/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.