How to Fix CVE-2026-31546: net: bonding: fix NULL deref in Linux

By Sai Kiran Pandrala

Related fixes

Other vulnerabilities in the same area that are worth patching alongside this one:

• How to Fix CVE-2026-1709: Path Traversal in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 — Path Traversal in Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
• How to Fix CVE-2026-43284: Write-what-where Condition in Linux — Write-what-where Condition in Linux
• How to Fix CVE-2026-23128: Critical Vulnerability in Linux , Critical Vulnerability in Linux
• How to Fix CVE-2026-43335: Null Pointer Dereference in Linux , Null Pointer Dereference in Linux
• How to Fix CVE-2026-23152: Critical Vulnerability in Linux , Critical Vulnerability in Linux

Last verified: 2026-05-25

CVE-2026-31546 is a net: bonding: fix null deref in Linux Linux. Fix it by upgrading to 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.20.

What is CVE-2026-31546?

CVE-2026-31546 is a net: bonding: fix null deref flaw in Linux Linux. The vendor has not published a verified CVSS metric at the time of writing. It is not currently listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.

From the source record: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: bonding: fix NULL deref in bond_debug_rlb_hash_show

rlb_clear_slave intentionally keeps RLB hash-table entries on

the rx_hashtbl_used_head list with slave set to NULL when no

replacement slave is available. However, bond_debug_rlb_hash_show

visites client_info->slave without checking if it's NULL.

Other used-list iterators in bond_alb.c already handle this NULL-slave

state safely:

• rlb_update_client returns early on !client_info->slave
• rlb_req_update_slave_clients, rlb_clear_slave, and rlb_rebalance

compare slave values before visiting

• lb_req_update_subnet_clients continues if slave is NULL

The following NULL deref crash can be trigger in

bond_debug_rlb_hash_show:

[ 1.289791] BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000

[ 1.

Why it matters in practice: The blast radius depends on how the affected service is exposed. An internet-facing instance with no compensating controls is the highest-risk configuration.

Am I affected?

You are affected if your installation of Linux matches a version listed in the Affected row above.

# Debian/Ubuntu
dpkg -s linux | grep Version
# RHEL/Rocky
rpm -q linux

How to fix CVE-2026-31546

Apply the vendor patch. Target the build named in the Fixed in row above (5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.20). The runnable command set below covers the most common deployment patterns for Linux.

Ubuntu / Debian

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade linux
dpkg -s linux | grep Version

RHEL / CentOS / Rocky

sudo dnf upgrade linux -y
rpm -q linux

After applying the patch

1. Restart the service or device so the patched binary loads.
2. Confirm the running version matches the Fixed in row using the verification command below.
3. Rotate credentials and API keys that the affected service could access if the asset was exposed during the disclosure window.

If you can't patch immediately

Until the patch lands, narrow the attack surface with these runnable controls.

Restrict network exposure

Block public access to the affected service at the perimeter. Allow only trusted source IPs.

# Linux iptables: only allow trusted admin subnet
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -s 10.10.10.0/24 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 443 -j DROP
sudo iptables-save | sudo tee /etc/iptables/rules.v4

# Windows firewall: only allow trusted admin subnet on management port
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Restrict-Mgmt-Allow" -Direction Inbound -Action Allow `
  -RemoteAddress 10.10.10.0/24 -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "Restrict-Mgmt-Deny"  -Direction Inbound -Action Block `
  -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 443

Mitigations are temporary. Apply the vendor patch as soon as a maintenance window opens.

How to verify the fix worked

Confirm the patched build is the one actually running.

# Debian/Ubuntu
dpkg -s linux | grep Version
# RHEL/Rocky
rpm -q linux

Expected: a version at or above 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.20.

Also worth doing: pull recent log windows for indicators of compromise listed in the vendor advisory, and re-run an authenticated vulnerability scan with up-to-date signatures.

Frequently asked questions

Is CVE-2026-31546 being exploited in the wild?

As of 2026-05-25, CVE-2026-31546 is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog. Watch the catalog and patch on a normal cadence; KEV status can change as exploitation evidence emerges.

What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-31546?

A verified CVSS score is not listed in the public record for CVE-2026-31546. Check the vendor advisory and the NVD page for an updated metric.

What version fixes this?

Upgrade to 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167, 6.6.130, 6.12.78, 6.18.20.

Will a WAF or IDS rule alone close this?

No. Network filters cut down opportunistic scans but they do not remove the flaw. The vendor patch is the only durable fix.

References

• Official vendor advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19f0fd87df0e5746b24f5caa465a66a8c6e6e241
• NVD entry: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-31546
• CISA KEV catalog: https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
• Additional reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/edacf1613f7b26423ebfa8b2892e7453c4235354
• Additional reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ec2c777f357a83c3d503d8d9370c90b60f0ae63
• Additional reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0a3f8cd3f370247ded14d38d216b49dd30eade76
• Additional reference: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a3bb74e25d79cbb15f67ef80f71e2b2bfe27ff4

*Assembled from the official vendor advisory, the NVD record, and the CISA KEV listing on 2026-05-25. Always confirm against the vendor advisory before applying changes in production.*