CVE-2026-23020Hinoki check available

Local kernel crash via null PCI pointer

Published Jan 31, 2026 · Updated Jan 31, 2026

A null pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel 3c59x driver allows local users to crash the kernel during device probing. In vortex_probe1(), the free_ring error path passes &pdev->dev to dma_free_coherent even though pdev can be NULL, rather than using the available generic device pointer. The path requires local access capable of provoking probe cleanup on a system using the 3Com 3c59x driver; the documented consequence is loss of availability, not data access or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.12%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkAvailable
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Summary

What happened

A null pointer dereference in the Linux Kernel 3c59x driver allows local users to crash the kernel during device probing. In vortex_probe1(), the free_ring error path passes &pdev->dev to dma_free_coherent even though pdev can be NULL, rather than using the available generic device pointer. The path requires local access capable of provoking probe cleanup on a system using the 3Com 3c59x driver; the documented consequence is loss of availability, not data access or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23020
Published
Jan 31, 2026
Updated
Jan 31, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-476
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jan 31, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jan 31, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=4.17
  2. Affected versionversion=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <053ac9e37eee435e999277c0f1ef890dad6064bf
  3. Affected versionversion=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <28b2a805609699be7b90020ae7dccfb234be1ceb
  4. Affected versionversion=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <2f05f7737e16d9a40038cc1c38a96a3f7964898b
  5. Affected versionversion=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <606872c8e8bf96066730f6a2317502c5633c37f1
  6. Affected versionversion=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <6cff14b831dbdb32675b4c7904dcc3eeeaf47e9d
  7. Affected versionversion=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <a4e305ed60f7c41bbf9aabc16dd75267194e0de3
  8. Affected versionversion=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <d82796a57cc0dac1dbef19d913c8f02a8cc7b1a7
  9. Affected versionversion=d30fdc02c49ad9965bba25015ae66c22dae967d1

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.17; version=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <053ac9e37eee435e999277c0f1ef890dad6064bf; version=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <28b2a805609699be7b90020ae7dccfb234be1ceb; version=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <2f05f7737e16d9a40038cc1c38a96a3f7964898b; version=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <606872c8e8bf96066730f6a2317502c5633c37f1; version=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <6cff14b831dbdb32675b4c7904dcc3eeeaf47e9d; version=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <a4e305ed60f7c41bbf9aabc16dd75267194e0de3; version=55c82617c3e82210b7471e9334e8fc5df6a9961f <d82796a57cc0dac1dbef19d913c8f02a8cc7b1a7; version=d30fdc02c49ad9965bba25015ae66c22dae967d1

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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