Linux Kernel Vulnerability in SLIP Protocol by Vendor

CVE-2026-45842

What is CVE-2026-45842?

A vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol) implementation that can lead to a null pointer dereference and kernel crash. This issue arises when the receive state is improperly configured, especially when the allocation loop in the initialization function is skipped, resulting in a null receive state. Any inbound VJ-compressed or uncompressed frames that select the invalid slot can cause a general protection fault within the kernel, rendering it unstable. This vulnerability can be exploited by users with unprivileged access to the network namespace, potentially leading to denial of service conditions.

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