CVE-2026-52997 — linux / linux_kernel
NULL Pointer DereferenceIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/sched: sch_dualpi2: drain both C-queue and L-queue in dualpi2_change()
Fix dualpi2_change() to correctly enforce updated limit and memlimit values after a configuration change of the dualpi2 qdisc.
Before this patch, dualpi2_change() always attempted to dequeue packets via the root qdisc (C-queue) when reducing backlog or memory usage, and unconditionally assumed that a valid skb will be returned. When traffic classification results in packets being queued in the L-queue while the C-queue is empty, this leads to a NULL skb dereference during limit or memlimit enforcement.
This is fixed by first dequeuing from the C-queue path if it is non-empty. Once the C-queue is empty, packets are dequeued directly from the L-queue. Return values from qdisc_dequeue_internal() are checked for both queues. When dequeuing from the L-queue, the parent qdisc qlen and backlog counters are updated explicitly to keep overall qdisc statistics consistent.
| Software | Affected versions |
|---|---|
| linux / linux_kernel | >= 6.17, < 6.18.33 |
| linux / linux_kernel | >= 6.19, < 7.0.10 |
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A security vulnerability is a weakness in software, hardware, or configuration that can be exploited to compromise confidentiality, integrity, or availability. Many vulnerabilities are tracked as CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures), which provide a standardized identifier so teams can coordinate patching, mitigation, and risk assessment across tools and vendors.
CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) estimates technical severity, but it doesn't automatically equal business risk. Prioritize using context like internet exposure, affected asset criticality, known exploitation (proof-of-concept or in-the-wild), and whether compensating controls exist. A "Medium" CVSS on an exposed, production system can be more urgent than a "Critical" on an isolated, non-production host.
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Recurring findings usually come from incomplete Asset Discovery, inconsistent patch management, inherited images, and configuration drift. In modern environments, you also need to watch the software supply chain: dependencies, containers, build pipelines, and third-party services can reintroduce the same weakness even after you patch a single host. Unknown or unmanaged assets (often called Shadow IT) are a common reason the same issues resurface.
Use a simple, repeatable triage model: focus first on externally exposed assets, high-value systems (identity, VPN, email, production), vulnerabilities with known exploits, and issues that enable remote code execution or privilege escalation. Then enforce patch SLAs and track progress using consistent metrics so remediation is steady, not reactive.
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