# CVE-2026-52938: linux: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  bpf: Fix NULL pointer dereference in bpf_sk_stor...

CVE-2026-52938 is fixed in linux on 1 platform by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-52938 (version 7.0.14-1), released July 12, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine.

- Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-52938
- Priority: Routine
- CVSS: 5.5 (medium)
- EPSS: 0.0014
- CISA KEV: not listed
- Exploited (vendor report): no
- Publicly disclosed: no
- Published: Jun 24, 2026

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:  bpf: Fix NULL pointer dereference in bpf_sk_storage_clone and diag paths  bpf_selem_unlink_nofail() sets SDATA(selem)->smap to NULL before removing the selem from the storage hlist. A concurrent RCU reader in bpf_sk_storage_clone() can observe the selem still on the list with smap already NULL, causing a NULL pointer dereference.   general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc000000000a:  KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000050-0x0000000000000057]  RIP: 0010:bpf_sk_storage_clone+0x1cd/0xaa0 net/core/bpf_sk_storage.c:174  Call Trace:   <IRQ>   sk_clone+0xfed/0x1980 net/core/sock.c:2591   inet_csk_clone_lock+0x30/0x760 net/ipv4/inet_connection_sock.c:1222   tcp_create_openreq_child+0x35/0x2680 net/ipv4/tcp_minisocks.c:571   tcp_v4_syn_recv_sock+0x123/0xf90 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:1729   tcp_check_req+0x8e1/0x2580 include/net/tcp.h:855   tcp_v4_rcv+0x1845/0x3b80 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:2347  Add a NULL check for smap in bpf_sk_storage_clone().  bpf_sk_storage_diag_put_all() has the same issue. Add a NULL check and pass the validated smap directly to diag_get(), which is refactored to take smap as a parameter instead of reading it internally.  bpf_sk_storage_diag_put() uses diag->maps[i] which is always valid under its refcount, so diag->maps[i] is passed directly to diag_get().

## Where it's fixed

| Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.0.14-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-52938](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-52938.md) | Jul 12, 2026 |

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Data as of 2026-11-09T07:25:28Z UTC. Source: Patchblox Patch Radar (https://patchblox.com/security/patch-radar). Patchblox finds out-of-date software on Windows, macOS and Linux and updates it through release rings: https://patchblox.com/demo

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