In the Linux kernel, the DAMON LRU SORT component allocates a damon_ctx object during initialization. The code assumes that the allocation always succeeds, but if it fails a null pointer is later dereferenced in damon_commit_ctx(), causing a kernel panic that disrupts system availability.

The vulnerability exists in the mainline Linux kernel wherever the DAMON LRU SORT code path is enabled. All kernels containing this code, without the patch, are potentially impacted until an updated kernel is deployed.

The EPSS score is less than 1%, indicating a very low probability of exploitation, and the flaw is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog. The likely attack vector is a local or privileged userru_sort_enabled_store(), which would lead to a kernel panic and a denial‑of‑service condition.