---
id: CVE-2026-97601
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ieee802154: 6lowpan: fix NULL dereference in lowpan_newlink

  TUNSETLINK allows a TUN device to change its link-layer type to
  ARPHRD_IEEE802154 without initializing ieee…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  ieee802154: 6lowpan: fix NULL dereference in lowpan_newlink

  TUNSETLINK allows a TUN device to change its link-layer type to
  ARPHRD_IEEE802154 without initializing ieee…
severity: medium
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    a1760f21c32adce41af5ed5687200865d8feaaeb
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    5063b9354e6e285dae61e530b30458498444a914
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    16d8e0b560d50cd1a9e6d77a9a154a94c4d6021e
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    543994fa03c36a91d967a12c5c99cae74899504c
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    1c7710af7ad9532b534f1c134c11b04dbe4e0e0f
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    98ce5a42cde780ee0e40378607d4428c8fc12ec1
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    8528da2333ce05cf627f93425f9d05efb08b3146
  - >-
    Linux >= 51e0e5d8124ece158927a4c2288c0929d3b53aa3 <
    bf79662bc85e820ac3b846e2f347da29fbf6ac95
  - Linux 4.3
published: '2026-09-25'
updated: '2026-10-03'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-03T11:18:06.577'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97601'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16d8e0b560d50cd1a9e6d77a9a154a94c4d6021e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c7710af7ad9532b534f1c134c11b04dbe4e0e0f'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5063b9354e6e285dae61e530b30458498444a914'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/543994fa03c36a91d967a12c5c99cae74899504c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8528da2333ce05cf627f93425f9d05efb08b3146'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/98ce5a42cde780ee0e40378607d4428c8fc12ec1'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a1760f21c32adce41af5ed5687200865d8feaaeb'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bf79662bc85e820ac3b846e2f347da29fbf6ac95'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-97601.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97601'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2541270'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97601'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97601'
  - url: >-
      https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-97601.mbox
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00211
epssPercentile: 0.11212
ingestedAt: '2026-09-25T11:06:38.902Z'
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: vendor
cwe:
  - CWE-476
---

## Overview

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

ieee802154: 6lowpan: fix NULL dereference in lowpan_newlink

TUNSETLINK allows a TUN device to change its link-layer type to
ARPHRD_IEEE802154 without initializing ieee802154_ptr. lowpan_newlink()
checks only the device type before dereferencing the pointer, so an
RTM_NEWLINK request can trigger a NULL pointer dereference.

Reject devices without ieee802154_ptr along with devices of the wrong type.

## 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 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: 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-2026-97601.json)