CVE-2026-23021

Service interruption via Pegasus USB memory leak

Published Jan 31, 2026 · Updated Jan 31, 2026

Memory leak in the Pegasus USB network driver in Linux Kernel allows local users to exhaust kernel memory and interrupt service. In update_eth_regs_async(), the usb_submit_urb() error path returns without freeing the allocated URB and control request buffer. Triggering sustained resource exhaustion requires low-privileged local access, a Pegasus USB adapter, and repeated asynchronous register-write submission failures.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.15%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the Pegasus USB network driver in Linux Kernel allows local users to exhaust kernel memory and interrupt service. In update_eth_regs_async(), the usb_submit_urb() error path returns without freeing the allocated URB and control request buffer. Triggering sustained resource exhaustion requires low-privileged local access, a Pegasus USB adapter, and repeated asynchronous register-write submission failures.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23021
Published
Jan 31, 2026
Updated
Jan 31, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
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=3.10
  2. Affected versionversion=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <471dfb97599eec74e0476046b3ef8e7037f27b34
  3. Affected versionversion=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <5397ea6d21c35a17707e201a60761bdee00bcc4e
  4. Affected versionversion=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <93f18eaa190374e0f2d253e3b1a65cee19a7abe6
  5. Affected versionversion=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <a40af9a2904a1ab8ce61866ebe2a894ef30754ba
  6. Affected versionversion=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <ac5d92d2826dec51e5d4c6854865bc5817277452
  7. Affected versionversion=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <afa27621a28af317523e0836dad430bec551eb54
  8. Affected versionversion=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <ce6eef731aba23a988decea1df3b08cf978f7b01

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=3.10; version=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <471dfb97599eec74e0476046b3ef8e7037f27b34; version=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <5397ea6d21c35a17707e201a60761bdee00bcc4e; version=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <93f18eaa190374e0f2d253e3b1a65cee19a7abe6; version=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <a40af9a2904a1ab8ce61866ebe2a894ef30754ba; version=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <ac5d92d2826dec51e5d4c6854865bc5817277452; version=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <afa27621a28af317523e0836dad430bec551eb54; version=323b34963d113efb566635f43858f40cce01d5f9 <ce6eef731aba23a988decea1df3b08cf978f7b01

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

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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-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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