# CVE-2026-23317: drm/vmwgfx: Return the correct value in vmw_translate_ptr functions

> A logic error in the vmwgfx driver returns success on failure, leading to uninitialized memory access and potential code execution or crashes.

- **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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:** 25 Mar 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-80714, BELL-CVE-2026-23317, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23317, GHSA-x2vc-23cg-h9h7, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-23317, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-23317, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-23317, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-23317

## What is CVE-2026-23317?

CVE-2026-23317 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Mar 2026. 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:

drm/vmwgfx: Return the correct value in vmw_translate_ptr functions

Before the referenced fixes these functions used a lookup function that
returned a pointer. This was changed to another lookup function that
returned an error code with the pointer becoming an out parameter.

The error path when the lookup failed was not changed to reflect this
change and the code continued to return the PTR_ERR of the now
uninitialized pointer. This could cause the vmw_translate_ptr functions
to return success when they actually failed causing further uninitialized
and OOB accesses.

Weakness: CWE-908 (Use of Uninitialized Resource), CWE-457 (Use of Uninitialized Variable)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23317?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-23317?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-23317 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23317 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-2026-23317 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-23317 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Mar 2026. 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-2026-23317 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-2026-23317/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23317/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23317
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23317
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23317

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23317/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.