CVE-2026-23444

Medium

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: always free skb on ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() failure ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() has three error paths, but only two of them free the skb. The first error path (ieee80211_tx_prepare() returning TX_DROP) does not free it, while invoke_tx_handlers() failure and the fragmentation check both do. Add kfree_skb() to the first error path so all three are consistent, and remove the now-redundant frees in callers (ath9k, mt76, mac80211_hwsim) to avoid double-free. Document the skb ownership guarantee in the function's kdoc.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-04-03
Last modified 2026-06-01
CVSS version 3.1
Patch available
Yes

CVSS 3.1 score

5.5

out of 10
Medium
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
Low
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Vector string
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Weakness type

CWE-401

CVE-2026-23444 is a Memory Leak vulnerability

What is Memory Leak?

The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. Learn more on MITRE CWE

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 3.13 and later are affected. Fixed in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.136, 6.12.84, 6.18.20, 6.19.10, 7.0 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 3.13
Fixed in
✓ 5.10.258 5.10.x ✓ 5.15.209 5.15.x ✓ 6.1.175 6.1.x ✓ 6.6.136 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.84 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.20 6.18.x ✓ 6.19.10 6.19.x ✓ 7.0

References

The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-23444 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.

8 patch commits total View all on NVD

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-23444?

    CVE-2026-23444 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a Memory Leak flaw (CWE-401) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.13 onward and has been patched in 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175 and others. CVE-2026-23444 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-23444?

    CVE-2026-23444 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-2026-23444?

    Yes — CVE-2026-23444 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.13 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-23444 actively exploited?

    No — CVE-2026-23444 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.

  • What is Memory Leak (CWE-401)?

    The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. View CWE-401 on MITRE CWE →

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