CVE-2026-31458

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A privileged local user can exploit this by manipulating the nr_contexts parameter in the mm/damon/sysfs interface to zero while the DAMON (Data Access MONitor) subsystem is active. This leads to a null pointer dereference when certain sysfs commands are subsequently executed, potentially causing a system crash and a Denial of Service (DoS).

Moderate: A null pointer dereference in the Linux kernel's DAMON subsystem can cause a system crash, leading to a Denial of Service. This vulnerability requires a privileged local attacker to enable DAMON and then specifically manipulate its sysfs interface. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 and 10, and Red Hat In-Vehicle OS are affected.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.

To mitigate this issue, avoid activating the DAMON (Data Access MONitor) subsystem if its functionality is not required. The vulnerability can only be exploited when DAMON is active, allowing a privileged local attacker to trigger a system crash by manipulating its sysfs interface.