CVE-2026-43123 fbcon: check return value of con2fb_acquire_newinfo()
A missing return value check in the Linux kernel fbcon driver can lead to a null pointer dereference, causing a system crash.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-43123?
CVE-2026-43123 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 6 May 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:
fbcon: check return value of con2fb_acquire_newinfo()
If fbcon_open() fails when called from con2fb_acquire_newinfo() then info->fbcon_par pointer remains NULL which is later dereferenced.
Add check for return value of the function con2fb_acquire_newinfo() to avoid it.
Found by Linux Verification Center (linuxtesting.org) with SVACE.
Weakness: CWE-476
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-43123?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-43123?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2026-43123 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-43123 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-43123, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-43123, GHSA-7853-m2m9-5q4x, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-43123, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-43123, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-43123 and 1 more.