CVE-2026-23293
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: vxlan: fix nd_tbl NULL dereference when IPv6 is disabled When booting with the 'ipv6.disable=1' parameter, the nd_tbl is never initialized because inet6_init() exits before ndisc_init() is called which initializes it. If an IPv6 packet is injected into the interface, route_shortcircuit() is called and a NULL pointer dereference happens on neigh_lookup(). BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000380 Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP NOPTI [...] RIP: 0010:neigh_lookup+0x20/0x270 [...] Call Trace: <TASK> vxlan_xmit+0x638/0x1ef0 [vxlan] dev_hard_start_xmit+0x9e/0x2e0 __dev_queue_xmit+0xbee/0x14e0 packet_sendmsg+0x116f/0x1930 __sys_sendto+0x1f5/0x200 __x64_sys_sendto+0x24/0x30 do_syscall_64+0x12f/0x1590 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e Fix this by adding an early check on route_shortcircuit() when protocol is ETH_P_IPV6. Note that ipv6_mod_enabled() cannot be used here because VXLAN can be built-in even when IPv6 is built as a module.
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
Weakness type
CWE-476CVE-2026-23293 is a NULL Pointer Dereference vulnerability
What is NULL Pointer Dereference?
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. Learn more on MITRE CWE
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
3.12
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.10.253,
5.15.203,
6.1.167,
6.6.130,
6.12.77,
6.18.17,
6.19.7,
7.0
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-23293 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/168ff39e4758897d2eee4756977d036d52884c7e
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f93e6b4d12bd3a4517a6d447ea675f448f21434
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/649e2bb74da54c96cf20729001e283626a2fefa0
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-23293?
CVE-2026-23293 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a NULL Pointer Dereference flaw (CWE-476) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.12 onward and has been patched in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167 and others. CVE-2026-23293 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-23293?
CVE-2026-23293 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-2026-23293?
Yes — CVE-2026-23293 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.12 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-23293 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-23293 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is NULL Pointer Dereference (CWE-476)?
The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL, typically causing a crash. View CWE-476 on MITRE CWE →