# CVE-2026-74702: vhost-scsi: reject feature changes after endpoint

> A local attacker can trigger a kernel crash in vhost-scsi by changing virtio features after endpoint setup, causing a null pointer dereference.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **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:** 22 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 25 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-74702, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74702, GHSA-r9hq-6x72-7q3j, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74702

## What is CVE-2026-74702?

CVE-2026-74702 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 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:

vhost-scsi: reject feature changes after endpoint

vhost_scsi_setup_vq_cmds() runs from VHOST_SCSI_SET_ENDPOINT and allocates
each command's protection scatterlist array (prot_sgl) according to the
acknowledged VIRTIO_SCSI_F_T10_PI bit.  The command pools are not rebuilt
when VHOST_SET_FEATURES changes that bit later.

Although virtio feature bits must not change after feature negotiation,
vhost_scsi_set_features() currently accepts such a request after the
endpoint is active and updates acked_features.  Enabling T10-PI after
endpoint setup therefore leaves prot_sgl NULL while the I/O path follows
the new feature bit.

For a 129-page protection payload, vhost_scsi_mapal() passes the missing
first chunk to sg_alloc_table_chained():

  sg_alloc_table_chained(table, 129, first_chunk=NULL,
                         nents_first_chunk=inline_sg_cnt)

sg_pool_index() then hits:

  BUG_ON(nents > SG_CHUNK_SIZE);   /* 129 > 128 */

The kernel reported the following call trace and register state:

  Call Trace:
   <TASK>
   ? __sg_alloc_table+0x1d8/0x250
   ? __pfx_vhost_run_work_list+0x10/0x10 [vhost]
   sg_alloc_table_chained+0x59/0xf0
   ? __pfx_sg_pool_alloc+0x10/0x10
   ? vhost_scsi_calc_sgls.constprop.0+0x43/0x60 [vhost_scsi]
   vhost_scsi_handle_vq+0xf02/0x1700 [vhost_scsi]
   ? __pfx_vhost_scsi_handle_vq+0x10/0x10 [vhost_scsi]
   vhost_scsi_handle_kick+0x37/0x50 [vhost_scsi]
   vhost_run_work_list+0x8e/0xd0 [vhost]
   vhost_task_fn+0xe1/0x210
   ret_from_fork+0x348/0x540
   </TASK>

  RIP: 0010:0x4
  CR2 = 0x4
  RSP: 0018:ffffc90000dbf940 EFLAGS: 00010202
  RAX: ffffffff82396810 RBX: ffff88811dc28b80 RCX: 0000000000000000
  RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 0000000000000820 RDI: 0000000000000081

VHOST_F_LOG_ALL is a vhost-specific runtime feature and remains the only
exception.

Reject changes to any feature other than VHOST_F_LOG_ALL while the
endpoint is active.  This preserves the existing runtime log toggle while
preventing feature-dependent command resources and data-path state from
becoming inconsistent.  Userspace must clear the endpoint before changing
any other negotiated feature and set the endpoint up again afterward.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74702?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-74702?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-74702 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74702 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-74702 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-74702 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 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-2026-74702 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-2026-74702/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74702/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74702
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74702
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-74702

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-74702/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.