Vulnerability · CVE-2026-31546
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bonding: fix NULL deref in bond_debug_rlb_hash_show rlb_clear_slave intentionally keeps RLB ha…
Published Apr 24, 2026 · catalog updated Oct 15, 2026 · linux kernel
Check if you run it
No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-31546. EPSS is 0.17%. Act only if a listed version of linux kernel is installed.
Gaps on this record
- No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
- Severity
- Medium5.5
- Known exploitation
- Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
- EPSS
- 0.17%
- Remediation
- Advisory link
- Affected products
- cpe linux/linux kernel
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bonding: fix NULL deref in bond_debug_rlb_hash_show rlb_clear_slave intentionally keeps RLB hash-table entries on the rx_hashtbl_used_head list with slave set to NULL when no replacement slave is available. However, bond_debug_rlb_hash_show visites client_info->slave without checking if it's NULL. Other used-list iterators in bond_alb.c already handle this NULL-slave state safely: - rlb_update_client returns early on !client_info->slave - rlb_req_update_slave_clients, rlb_clear_slave, and rlb_rebalance compare slave values before visiting - lb_req_update_subnet_clients continues if slave is NULL The following NULL deref crash can be trigger in bond_debug_rlb_hash_show: [ 1.289791] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 [ 1.292058] RIP: 0010:bond_debug_rlb_hash_show (drivers/net/bonding/bond_debugfs.c:41) [ 1.293101] RSP: 0018:ffffc900004a7d00 EFLAGS: 00010286 [ 1.293333] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: ffff888102b48200 RCX: ffff888102b48204 [ 1.293631] RDX: ffff888102b48200 RSI: ffffffff839daad5 RDI: ffff888102815078 [ 1.293924] RBP: ffff888102815078 R08: ffff888102b4820e R09: 0000000000000000 [ 1.294267] R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff888100f929c0 [ 1.294564] R13: ffff888100f92a00 R14: 0000000000000001 R15: ffffc900004a7ed8 [ 1.294864] FS: 0000000001395380(0000) GS:ffff888196e75000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 1.295239] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 1.295480] CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 0000000102adc004 CR4: 0000000000772ef0 [ 1.295897] Call Trace: [ 1.296134] seq_read_iter (fs/seq_file.c:231) [ 1.296341] seq_read (fs/seq_file.c:164) [ 1.296493] full_proxy_read (fs/debugfs/file.c:378 (discriminator 1)) [ 1.296658] vfs_read (fs/read_write.c:572) [ 1.296981] ksys_read (fs/read_write.c:717) [ 1.297132] do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 (discriminator 1) arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 (discriminator 1)) [ 1.297325] entry_S
Are you affected?
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- cpe linux/linux kernel2.6.38
How to fix CVE-2026-31546
Recommended remediation
A patch or advisory reference is linked. Open the original publisher for availability by product version.
Official advisories
What to do
Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.
Should you patch?
No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-31546. EPSS is 0.17%. Act only if a listed version of linux kernel is installed.
Which versions are affected?
Compare what you have installed with linux/linux kernel 2.6.38. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.
What should an analyst verify?
CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference. EPSS 0.17%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.
Code
The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.
Timeline
Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.
Apr 24, 2026 · NIST NVD
Detected
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bonding: fix NULL deref in bond_debug_rlb_hash_show rlb_clear_slave intentionally keeps RLB hash-table entries on the rx_hashtbl_used_head list with slave set to NULL when no replacement slave is available. However, bond_debug_rlb_hash_show visites client_info->slave without checking if it's NULL. Other used-list iterators in
Oct 15, 2026 · NIST NVD
Updated
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bonding: fix NULL deref in bond_debug_rlb_hash_show rlb_clear_slave intentionally keeps RLB hash-table entries on the rx_hashtbl_used_head list with slave set to NULL when no replacement slave is available. However, bond_debug_rlb_hash_show visites client_info->slave without checking if it's NULL. Other used-list iterators in
Sources
- CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-31546
Official CVE identifier
cve.org - FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2026-31546
30-day exploitation probability 0.2%
first.org - NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-31546
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bonding: fix NULL deref in bond_debug_rlb_hash_show rlb_clear_slave intentionally keeps RLB hash-table entries on the rx_hashtbl_used_head list with slave set to NULL when no replacement slave is available
nvd.nist.gov
References
Freshness
Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.