CVE-2026-72373 afs: Fix missing NULL pointer check in afs_break_some_callbacks()
A missing NULL pointer check in the Linux kernel AFS module can cause a system crash when an unknown volume is specified.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Over the internet
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-72373?
CVE-2026-72373 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 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:
afs: Fix missing NULL pointer check in afs_break_some_callbacks()
Fix afs_break_some_callbacks() to check to see if afs_lookup_volume_rcu() returned NULL (e.g. the specified volume is unknown).
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72373?
How do I fix CVE-2026-72373?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Is CVE-2026-72373 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72373 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-72373, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72373, GHSA-4h6c-mrxr-5r6x, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72373.