CVE-2026-80597

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's mtd: maps: vmu-flash component. During the initialization of the Memory Technology Device (MTD), a NULL pointer dereference can occur if the mtd_info structure, which contains a device structure, is not properly linked to its parent. This issue can lead to the failure of the MTD initialization, potentially causing system instability or a denial of service.

A flaw of moderate severity was found in the Linux kernel's mtd vmu-flash map driver. The mtd_info structure contains a struct device that must be linked to its parent; when this link is absent, initialization of the Memory Technology Device (MTD) fails with a NULL pointer dereference, which can crash the kernel and cause a local denial of service (Red Hat CVSS 5.5, CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H). Red Hat has assessed all Red Hat Enterprise Linux (kernel and kernel-rt) and Red Hat In-Vehicle OS (kernel and kernel-ivos-qualcomm) components as Not Affected because the vulnerable vmu-flash driver code is not present in the kernels shipped for these products, so no Red Hat offering is exposed to this flaw.

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.