CVE-2026-23304
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv6: fix NULL pointer deref in ip6_rt_get_dev_rcu() l3mdev_master_dev_rcu() can return NULL when the slave device is being un-slaved from a VRF. All other callers deal with this, but we lost the fallback to loopback in ip6_rt_pcpu_alloc() -> ip6_rt_get_dev_rcu() with commit 4832c30d5458 ("net: ipv6: put host and anycast routes on device with address"). KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x0000000000000108-0x000000000000010f] RIP: 0010:ip6_rt_pcpu_alloc (net/ipv6/route.c:1418) Call Trace: ip6_pol_route (net/ipv6/route.c:2318) fib6_rule_lookup (net/ipv6/fib6_rules.c:115) ip6_route_output_flags (net/ipv6/route.c:2607) vrf_process_v6_outbound (drivers/net/vrf.c:437) I was tempted to rework the un-slaving code to clear the flag first and insert synchronize_rcu() before we remove the upper. But looks like the explicit fallback to loopback_dev is an established pattern. And I guess avoiding the synchronize_rcu() is nice, too.
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-2026-23304 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
4.14
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-2026-23304 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/0b5a7826020706057cc5a9d9009e667027f221ee
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ffb4f5c2ccb2fa1c049dd11899aee7967deef5a
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3310fc11fc47387d1dd4759b0bc961643ea11c7f
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-23304?
CVE-2026-23304 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 4.14 onward and has been patched in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167 and others. CVE-2026-23304 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-2026-23304?
CVE-2026-23304 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-2026-23304?
Yes — CVE-2026-23304 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.167 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.14 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-23304 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-23304 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 →