# CVE-2026-74445: drm/vmwgfx: reject DX_BIND_QUERY without a DX context

> A local attacker with access to the render node can trigger a kernel NULL pointer dereference in the vmwgfx driver, causing a system crash.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-96296, BELL-CVE-2026-74445, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74445, GHSA-gvh6-m2h2-g86v, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74445

## What is CVE-2026-74445?

CVE-2026-74445 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 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:

drm/vmwgfx: reject DX_BIND_QUERY without a DX context

vmw_cmd_dx_bind_query() unconditionally dereferences
sw_context->dx_ctx_node->ctx.  Userspace can trigger a NULL pointer
dereference from any render-node fd by submitting an execbuf with
dx_context_handle == SVGA3D_INVALID_ID and a SVGA_3D_CMD_DX_BIND_QUERY
opcode in the command stream: dx_ctx_node is left NULL and the kernel
oopses on the assignment.  The same NULL is then re-read in
vmw_resources_reserve() via vmw_context_get_dx_query_mob().

All sibling DX handlers fail-close on a missing dx_ctx_node using
VMW_GET_CTX_NODE().  Use the same pattern here, returning -EINVAL up
front before any relocation state is published.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74445?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-74445?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-74445 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74445 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-74445 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-74445 is a vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 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-2026-74445 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-2026-74445/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74445/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74445
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74445
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74445

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74445/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.