# CVE-2026-68291: idpf: fix max_vport related crash on allocation error during init

> A local attacker with high privileges can trigger a kernel crash in the idpf driver during initialization or reset due to a null pointer dereference.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-68291, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68291, GHSA-4p63-546r-fx23, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-68291

## What is CVE-2026-68291?

CVE-2026-68291 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 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:

idpf: fix max_vport related crash on allocation error during init

Set adapter->max_vports only after successful allocation of vports, netdevs
and  vport_config buffers. This fixes possible crashes on reset or rmmod,
following failed allocation on init

[  305.981402] idpf 0000:83:00.0: enabling device (0100 -> 0102)
[  305.994464] idpf 0000:83:00.0: Device HW Reset initiated
[  320.416872] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
[  320.416918] #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
[  320.416942] #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
[  320.416963] PGD 2099657067 P4D 0
[  320.416983] Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI
...
[  320.417093] RIP: 0010:idpf_remove+0x118/0x200 [idpf]
[  320.417130] Code: 8b bb 98 09 00 00 e8 17 0f 5b e5 48 8b bb e8 08 00 00 e8 0b 0f 5b e5 66 83 bb 28 06 00 00 00 48 8b bb 20 06 00 00 74 49 31 ed <48> 8b 04 ef 48 85 c0 74 2f 48 8b 78 20 e8 66 58 91 e5 48 8b 83 20
[  320.417183] RSP: 0018:ff7322212903fdb8 EFLAGS: 00010246
[  320.417205] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ff4463de40300000 RCX: ff7322212903fd4c
[  320.417228] RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: ffffffffa7f7d100 RDI: 0000000000000000
[  320.417250] RBP: 0000000000000000 R08: 0000000000000001 R09: 0000000000000000
[  320.417272] R10: 0000000000000001 R11: ff4463de3a638f58 R12: ff4463be89ac7000
[  320.417294] R13: ff4463be89ac7198 R14: ff4463be94fc7198 R15: ffffffffc0f10f20
[  320.417317] FS:  00007f963c0e6740(0000) GS:ff4463fdd65d8000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
[  320.417342] CS:  0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
[  320.417362] CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 00000020ba674002 CR4: 0000000000773ef0
[  320.417385] PKRU: 55555554
[  320.417398] Call Trace:
[  320.417412]  <TASK>
[  320.417429]  pci_device_remove+0x42/0xb0
[  320.417459]  device_release_driver_internal+0x1a9/0x210
[  320.417492]  driver_detach+0x4b/0x90
[  320.417516]  bus_remove_driver+0x70/0x100
[  320.417539]  pci_unregister_driver+0x2e/0xb0
[  320.417564]  __do_sys_delete_module.constprop.0+0x190/0x2f0
[  320.417592]  ? kmem_cache_free+0x31e/0x550
[  320.417619]  ? lockdep_hardirqs_on_prepare+0xde/0x190
[  320.417644]  ? do_syscall_64+0x38/0x6b0
[  320.417665]  do_syscall_64+0xc8/0x6b0
[  320.417683]  ? clear_bhb_loop+0x30/0x80
[  320.417706]  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
[  320.417727] RIP: 0033:0x7f963bb30beb

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-68291?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-68291?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-68291 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68291 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-68291 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-68291 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 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-2026-68291 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-68291/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68291/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-68291
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68291
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68291

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68291/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.
