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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-53335

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-07-01
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.18.36 / 7.0.13 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click 7 weeks old

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/damon/lru_sort: handle ctx allocation failure DAMON_LRU_SORT allocates the damon_ctx object for its kdamond in its init function. damon_lru_sort_enabled_store() wrongly assumes the allocation will always succeed once tried. If the damon_ctx allocation was failed, therefore, code execution reaches to damon_commit_ctx() while 'ctx' is NULL. As a result, it dereferences the NULL 'ctx' pointer. Avoid the NULL dereference by returning -ENOMEM if 'ctx' is NULL.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · high confidence

In the Linux kernel's DAMON_LRU_SORT module, the function damon_lru_sort_enabled_store() assumes damon_ctx allocation always succeeds. When allocation fails and 'ctx' remains NULL, the code proceeds to damon_commit_ctx() which dereferences the NULL pointer, causing a kernel panic or crash. The vulnerability is fixed by adding a NULL check and returning -ENOMEM if allocation failed.

MitigationApply the kernel patch that adds NULL pointer validation before calling damon_commit_ctx(), or upgrade to a kernel version containing this fix. Since this is a kernel-level issue, no user action can mitigate it beyond applying the vendor patch.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 6.18, < 6.18.36>= 6.19, < 7.0.13= 7.1

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Identify kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or check /proc/version to get the running kernel version
    Affected if The version falls within >= 6.18 and < 6.18.36, OR >= 6.19 and < 7.0.13, OR equals 7.1
  2. Check if DAMON_LRU_SORT is built-in or loaded
    Run 'lsmod | grep damon' to check for loaded DAMON modules, or check kernel config for CONFIG_DAMON_LRU_SORT=y
    Affected if The DAMON_LRU_SORT module is loaded or built into the kernel
  3. Verify DAMON debugfs/sysfs interface exists
    Check for /sys/kernel/debug/damon/*/lru_sort_enabled or similar DAMON control interfaces
    Affected if The DAMON LRU sort control interface is present and writable
  4. Check for NULL pointer dereference indicators
    Review kernel logs (dmesg) for any 'unable to handle NULL pointer' errors related to damon_commit_ctx or damon_lru_sort
    Affected if Such errors have occurred in system logs

You are affected if your kernel version is in the affected ranges AND the DAMON_LRU_SORT module is enabled and actively used.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.18.36 / 7.0.13 or later
Fixed in 6.18.367.0.13
Interim mitigation

Apply the kernel patch that adds NULL pointer validation before calling damon_commit_ctx(), or upgrade to a kernel version containing this fix. Since this is a kernel-level issue, no user action can mitigate it beyond applying the vendor patch.

Recommended fix High confidence

6.18.36, 7.0.13, or 7.2 (depending on your current branch)

  1. Identify the current running kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. If running a vulnerable version (>= 6.18 < 6.18.36, >= 6.19 < 7.0.13, or 7.1), plan for a kernel upgrade
  3. Upgrade the Linux kernel to version 6.18.36 or higher for the 6.18.x branch
  4. Alternatively, upgrade to version 7.0.13 or higher for the 6.19.x/7.0.x branch
  5. Alternatively, upgrade to version 7.2 or higher for the 7.1 branch
  6. Reboot the system to load the new kernel
  7. Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and reviewing the patched code in `mm/damon/lru_sort.c`
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require reboot and could introduce compatibility issues with out-of-tree modules or specific hardware drivers; test in staging first

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation2.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing6.0 h
  • Review / QA3.0 h
13.0 hours of engineering $2,200
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-53335 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data