Executive brief
A vulnerability in the Ubuntu Linux kernel's AppArmor component could allow a local user to crash the system. AppArmor is a security module that restricts the capabilities of programs to protect the operating system. An exploit of this flaw results in a kernel panic, leading to a complete system shutdown and denial of service.
Technical details
A NULL pointer dereference exists in security/apparmor/notify.c within the Ubuntu-specific 'SAUCE' patches for the Linux kernel 6.8. The vulnerability occurs in the aa_new_ruleset function because the code fails to check if the kzalloc memory allocation was successful before attempting to initialize the list head (INIT_LIST_HEAD). An unprivileged local attacker can trigger this condition, leading to a kernel panic (DoS). A patch has been developed to add the necessary NULL check after the allocation.
Affected products
- Ubuntu Linux Kernel (Ubuntu) 6.8
Timeline
- 2026-04-23: other: Patch authored by Georgia Garcia
- 2026-05-28: disclosed: CVE published to NVD