CVE-2026-23009
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xhci: sideband: don't dereference freed ring when removing sideband endpoint xhci_sideband_remove_endpoint() incorrecly assumes that the endpoint is running and has a valid transfer ring. Lianqin reported a crash during suspend/wake-up stress testing, and found the cause to be dereferencing a non-existing transfer ring 'ep->ring' during xhci_sideband_remove_endpoint(). The endpoint and its ring may be in unknown state if this function is called after xHCI was reinitialized in resume (lost power), or if device is being re-enumerated, disconnected or endpoint already dropped. Fix this by both removing unnecessary ring access, and by checking ep->ring exists before dereferencing it. Also make sure endpoint is running before attempting to stop it. Remove the xhci_initialize_ring_info() call during sideband endpoint removal as is it only initializes ring structure enqueue, dequeue and cycle state values to their starting values without changing actual hardware enqueue, dequeue and cycle state. Leaving them out of sync is worse than leaving it as it is. The endpoint will get freed in after this in most usecases. If the (audio) class driver want's to reuse the endpoint after offload then it is up to the class driver to ensure endpoint is properly set up.
CVSS 3.1 score
5.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
6.16
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.18.7,
6.19
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-23009 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
-
PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/34f6634dba87ef72b3c3a3a524be663adef7ab42
-
PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dd83dc1249737b837ac5d57c81f2b0977c613d9f
Frequently asked questions
-
What is CVE-2026-23009?
CVE-2026-23009 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.16 onward and has been patched in 6.18.7 and 6.19. CVE-2026-23009 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
-
What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-23009?
CVE-2026-23009 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-23009?
Yes — CVE-2026-23009 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.7 and 6.19. If you are running Linux kernel 6.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
-
Is CVE-2026-23009 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-23009 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.