CVE-2026-53403: Linux Kernel

Medium severity, CVSS 5.5. EPSS: 0.1% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: fbdev: Fix fb_new_modelist to prevent null-ptr-deref in fb_videomode_to_var info->var, a framebuffer's current mode, is expected to have a matching entry in info->modelist. var_to_display() relies on this and treats a failed fb_match_mode() as "This should not happen". fb_set_var() keeps it true by adding the mode to the list on every change, and do_register_framebuffer() does the same at registration. store_modes() replaces the modelist from userspace. fb_new_modelist() validates the new modes but does not check that info->var still has a match. It relies on fbcon_new_modelist() to re-point consoles, but that only handles consoles mapped to the framebuffer. With fbcon unbound there are none, so info->var is left describing a mode that is no longer in the list. A later console takeover runs var_to_display(), where fb_match_mode() returns NULL and leaves fb_display[i].mode NULL. fbcon_switch() passes it to display_to_var(), and fb_videomode_to_var() dereferences the NULL mode. Keep the current mode in the list in fb_new_modelist(), the same way fb_set_var() does.

Affected products

• Linux Linux Kernel: from 2.6.12.1, before 5.10.260 (fixed in 5.10.260); from 5.11, before 5.15.211 (fixed in 5.15.211); from 5.16, before 6.1.177 (fixed in 6.1.177); from 6.2, before 6.6.144 (fixed in 6.6.144); from 6.7, before 6.12.95 (fixed in 6.12.95); from 6.13, before 6.18.38 (fixed in 6.18.38); …

Published 2026-07-19. Last modified 2026-08-17.