---
id: CVE-2026-97446
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ACPICA: Fix NULL pointer dereference in acpi_ns_custom_package()

  acpi_ns_custom_package() unconditionally dereferences the first element
  of the package to read the _BI…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ACPICA: Fix NULL pointer dereference in acpi_ns_custom_package()

  acpi_ns_custom_package() unconditionally dereferences the first element
  of the package to read the _BI…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-476
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 7952d40240855932de01bbe81c02bf1416ec91d8 <
    fad537538cdfcdc51e41db61bbf9ebe5ed9427eb
  - >-
    Linux >= 7952d40240855932de01bbe81c02bf1416ec91d8 <
    9936507ac0f2379787a2a805b11ab1cf0f241372
  - >-
    Linux >= 7952d40240855932de01bbe81c02bf1416ec91d8 <
    644888605f55395e6012ed43e3ed643ef7ab5013
  - >-
    Linux >= 7952d40240855932de01bbe81c02bf1416ec91d8 <
    08c5dee5da1d8d99b5a4e94db5a3d873c491771e
  - >-
    Linux >= 7952d40240855932de01bbe81c02bf1416ec91d8 <
    3762c6c8ae5073892d7cec736cc54270c7c9ce90
  - >-
    Linux >= 7952d40240855932de01bbe81c02bf1416ec91d8 <
    3cbf096a478f4fa03953f0685ad28c9c82ce67cb
  - >-
    Linux >= 7952d40240855932de01bbe81c02bf1416ec91d8 <
    f8d14b7bb0063bbbd86c0e4d73edb8cea7b362bc
  - Linux 4.7
published: '2026-09-24'
updated: '2026-10-03'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-03T11:17:56.300'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97446'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/08c5dee5da1d8d99b5a4e94db5a3d873c491771e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3762c6c8ae5073892d7cec736cc54270c7c9ce90'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3cbf096a478f4fa03953f0685ad28c9c82ce67cb'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/644888605f55395e6012ed43e3ed643ef7ab5013'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9936507ac0f2379787a2a805b11ab1cf0f241372'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8d14b7bb0063bbbd86c0e4d73edb8cea7b362bc'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fad537538cdfcdc51e41db61bbf9ebe5ed9427eb'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97446.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97446'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2540463'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97446'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97446'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-97446.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00173
epssPercentile: 0.06621
cvssSource: vendor
ingestedAt: '2026-09-24T16:47:15.877Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ACPICA: Fix NULL pointer dereference in acpi_ns_custom_package()

acpi_ns_custom_package() unconditionally dereferences the first element
of the package to read the _BIX version number, without checking for
NULL:

    if ((*Elements)->Common.Type != ACPI_TYPE_INTEGER)

When firmware returns a _BIX package whose first element is an
unresolvable reference, ACPICA evaluates that entry to NULL.
acpi_ns_remove_null_elements() does not strip NULL entries for
ACPI_PTYPE_CUSTOM packages (fixed-position format would break if
elements were shifted), so acpi_ns_custom_package() sees the NULL
and causes a crash.

Add a NULL check for the first element (version field) before
dereferencing it. The caller then receives AE_AML_OPERAND_TYPE
instead of crashing.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Low · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · updated 2026-10-17 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97446.json)