# CVE-2026-68317: pds_core: fix auxiliary device add/del races

> A race condition in the pds_core driver allows concurrent operations to cause a NULL pointer dereference, leading to a system crash.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-68317, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68317, GHSA-gg5r-cw5w-f3jw, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-68317

## What is CVE-2026-68317?

CVE-2026-68317 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:

pds_core: fix auxiliary device add/del races

Two paths add or delete the same slot (pf->vfs[vf_id].padev): a VF's
pdsc_reset_done() and the PF's devlink enable_vnet/disable_vnet handler.
They serialize on config_lock, but neither guards the slot under it
correctly.

add() registers and stores a new auxiliary device without first checking
the slot, so a second add of an already-populated slot leaks the first
device. del() makes that check outside config_lock, so two concurrent
dels can both pass it; the first clears the slot, and the second
dereferences a NULL pointer.

Check and update the slot under config_lock in both paths.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-68317?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-68317?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-68317 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68317 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-68317 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-68317 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-2026-68317 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-2026-68317/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68317/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-68317
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68317
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68317

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68317/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.