CVE-2024-42254: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring: fix error pbuf checking Syz reports a problem, which boils down to NULL vs IS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring: fix error pbuf checking Syz reports a problem, which boils down to NULL vs IS_ER

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring: fix error pbuf checking Syz reports a problem, which boils down to NULL vs IS_ERR inconsistent error handling in io_alloc_pbuf_ring(). KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000000-0x0000000000000007] RIP: 0010:__io_remove_buffers+0xac/0x700 io_uring/kbuf.c:341 Call Trace: <TASK> io_put_bl io_uring/kbuf.c:378 [inline] io_destroy_buffers+0x14e/0x490 io_uring/kbuf.c:392 io_ring_ctx_free+0xa00/0x1070 io_uring/io_uring.c:2613 io_ring_exit_work+0x80f/0x8a0 io_uring/io_uring.c:2844 process_one_work kernel/workqueue.c:3231 [inline] process_scheduled_works+0xa2c/0x1830 kernel/workqueue.c:3312 worker_thread+0x86d/0xd40 kernel/workqueue.c:3390 kthread+0x2f0/0x390 kernel/kthread.c:389 ret_from_fork+0x4b/0x80 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:147 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:244

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.21%, higher than 11% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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