CVE-2026-22998: Software Security Vulnerability Vulnerability

MODERATE
Advisory Identifier: GHSA-xjx5-8v38-q6gh
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CVSS 5.5
CWE-476
Published
Advisory Summary

CVE-2026-22998 is a MODERATE (CVSS 5.5) security vulnerability vulnerability (CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference) affecting Software libraries in the Maven ecosystem. The weakness occurs when the product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is null.. Remediation is available in the latest vendor maintenance releases.

CVE-2026-22998 at a Glance

CVE Identifier CVE-2026-22998
GHSA Identifier GHSA-xjx5-8v38-q6gh
Severity MODERATE
CVSS v3.1 Base Score 5.5
CWE Classification CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference
Affected Product Software
Package Ecosystem Maven
Published Date
Last Updated

Security Impact

CVSS: 5.5

The security impact metrics below are parsed directly from the CVSS v3.1 vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H).

Attack Vector Local (AV:L)
Attack Complexity Low (AC:L)
Privileges Required Low (PR:L)
User Interaction None (UI:N)
Scope Unchanged (S:U)
Confidentiality None (C:N)
Integrity None (I:N)
Availability High (A:H)

How to Fix CVE-2026-22998

To remediate this vulnerability, upgrade all affected Software dependencies to a patched release. Both direct and transitive dependencies should be checked, as frameworks or security libraries may pull in vulnerable versions transitively.

Verify Direct and Transitive Dependencies

Run the following command in your project directory to verify that all resolved dependencies use the patched release: 

mvn dependency:tree

How to Check if You Are Affected

To determine whether your Java application is affected by CVE-2026-22998, inspect your build dependencies using the Maven Dependency Plugin:

mvn dependency:tree

Analyze the terminal output to locate any version of Software in your dependency tree. If any resolved version matches the vulnerable ranges listed in the table below (for example, versions earlier than the patched release), your application is affected.

Note: The mvn dependency:tree command inspects the resolved dependency graph declared in your project's POM files; it does not perform automated security scanning or inspect runtime dynamic classpaths. Always verify runtime container classpaths and shaded JARs.

Technical Details

Vulnerability Mechanism & Technical Analysis

This vulnerability is classified under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference, where the product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is null. In Software, software state validation or input boundaries are circumvented during processing. Review the official source advisory statement below for specific affected components, classes, and reproduction details.

Source Advisory Statement

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme-tcp: fix NULL pointer dereferences in nvmet_tcp_build_pdu_iovec Commit efa56305908b ("nvmet-tcp: Fix a kernel panic when host sends an invalid H2C PDU length") added ttag bounds checking and data_offset validation in nvmet_tcp_handle_h2c_data_pdu(), but it did not validate whether the command's data structures (cmd->req.sg and cmd->iov) have been properly initialized before processing H2C_DATA PDUs. The nvmet_tcp_build_pdu_iovec() function dereferences these pointers without NULL checks. This can be triggered by sending H2C_DATA PDU immediately after the ICREQ/ICRESP handshake, before sending a CONNECT command or NVMe write command. Attack vectors that trigger NULL pointer dereferences: 1. H2C_DATA PDU sent before CONNECT → both pointers NULL 2. H2C_DATA PDU for READ command → cmd->req.sg allocated, cmd->iov NULL 3. H2C_DATA PDU for uninitialized command slot → both pointers NULL The fix validates both cmd->req.sg and cmd->iov before calling nvmet_tcp_build_pdu_iovec(). Both checks are required because: - Uninitialized commands: both NULL - READ commands: cmd->req.sg allocated, cmd->iov NULL - WRITE commands: both allocated

References

NVD — CVE-2026-22998 NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22998
git.kernel.org/stable/c/32b63acd78... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/32b63acd78f577b332d976aa06b56e70d054cbba
git.kernel.org/stable/c/374b095e26... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/374b095e265fa27465f34780e0eb162ff1bef913
git.kernel.org/stable/c/3def524315... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3def5243150716be86599c2a1767c29c68838b6d
git.kernel.org/stable/c/76abc83a9d... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76abc83a9d25593c2b7613c549413079c14a4686
git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d75570002... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d75570002929d20e40110d6b03e46202c9d1bc7
git.kernel.org/stable/c/baabe43a0e... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/baabe43a0edefac8cd7b981ff87f967f6034dafe
git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdecd3b6aa... WEB
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdecd3b6aac10d5a18d0dc500fe57f8648b66cd4

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-22998?
CVE-2026-22998 is a security vulnerability in Software classified as a security vulnerability vulnerability under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference.
Which Software versions are affected?
Affected versions include releases prior to current release patches.
What version fixes CVE-2026-22998?
Upgrading to current release patches (or the latest patched release for your respective branch) resolves the vulnerability.
What is the CVSS score of CVE-2026-22998?
CVE-2026-22998 has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MODERATE) with vector string CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.
What CWE is associated with CVE-2026-22998?
CVE-2026-22998 is classified under CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference (The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.).
How can I check Maven dependencies for CVE-2026-22998?
Run the dependency tree command: 'mvn dependency:tree'. This command lists direct and transitive dependencies in your build configuration so you can verify if a vulnerable version is resolved.
Machine-readable OSV JSON OSV v1.5 Schema
Normalized schema output
View Raw JSON 
{
  "schema_version" : "1.4.0",
  "id" : "GHSA-xjx5-8v38-q6gh",
  "modified" : "2026-10-19T21:33:13Z",
  "published" : "2026-01-25T15:30:26Z",
  "aliases" : [ "CVE-2026-22998" ],
  "details" : "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nnvme-tcp: fix NULL pointer dereferences in nvmet_tcp_build_pdu_iovec\n\nCommit efa56305908b (\"nvmet-tcp: Fix a kernel panic when host sends an invalid H2C PDU length\")\nadded ttag bounds checking and data_offset\nvalidation in nvmet_tcp_handle_h2c_data_pdu(), but it did not validate\nwhether the command's data structures (cmd->req.sg and cmd->iov) have\nbeen properly initialized before processing H2C_DATA PDUs.\n\nThe nvmet_tcp_build_pdu_iovec() function dereferences these pointers\nwithout NULL checks. This can be triggered by sending H2C_DATA PDU\nimmediately after the ICREQ/ICRESP handshake, before\nsending a CONNECT command or NVMe write command.\n\nAttack vectors that trigger NULL pointer dereferences:\n1. H2C_DATA PDU sent before CONNECT → both pointers NULL\n2. H2C_DATA PDU for READ command → cmd->req.sg allocated, cmd->iov NULL\n3. H2C_DATA PDU for uninitialized command slot → both pointers NULL\n\nThe fix validates both cmd->req.sg and cmd->iov before calling\nnvmet_tcp_build_pdu_iovec(). Both checks are required because:\n- Uninitialized commands: both NULL\n- READ commands: cmd->req.sg allocated, cmd->iov NULL\n- WRITE commands: both allocated",
  "severity" : [ {
    "type" : "CVSS_V3",
    "score" : "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H"
  } ],
  "affected" : [ ],
  "references" : [ {
    "type" : "ADVISORY",
    "url" : "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-22998"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/32b63acd78f577b332d976aa06b56e70d054cbba"
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  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
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  }, {
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    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76abc83a9d25593c2b7613c549413079c14a4686"
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    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7d75570002929d20e40110d6b03e46202c9d1bc7"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/baabe43a0edefac8cd7b981ff87f967f6034dafe"
  }, {
    "type" : "WEB",
    "url" : "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdecd3b6aac10d5a18d0dc500fe57f8648b66cd4"
  } ],
  "database_specific" : {
    "cwe_ids" : [ "CWE-476" ],
    "severity" : "MODERATE",
    "github_reviewed" : false,
    "github_reviewed_at" : null,
    "nvd_published_at" : "2026-01-25T15:15:54Z"
  }
}