CVE-2026-23256

Local service interruption via skipped VF cleanup

Published Mar 18, 2026 · Updated Mar 18, 2026

Off-by-one cleanup in Linux Kernel 4.10 and later allows local users to exhaust kernel memory when a LiquidIO VF fails to initialize. In drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_vf_main.c, setup_nic_devices() starts cleanup below the failing index, so liquidio_destroy_nic_device() does not release that device's allocation. Reachability requires a LiquidIO virtual-function initialization failure; repeated exposure can interrupt service through memory exhaustion, with no reported data access or modification.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.11%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Off-by-one cleanup in Linux Kernel 4.10 and later allows local users to exhaust kernel memory when a LiquidIO VF fails to initialize. In drivers/net/ethernet/cavium/liquidio/lio_vf_main.c, setup_nic_devices() starts cleanup below the failing index, so liquidio_destroy_nic_device() does not release that device's allocation. Reachability requires a LiquidIO virtual-function initialization failure; repeated exposure can interrupt service through memory exhaustion, with no reported data access or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23256
Published
Mar 18, 2026
Updated
Mar 18, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-193, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 18, 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=4.10
  2. Affected versionversion=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <01fbca1e93ec3f39f76c31a8f9afa32ce00da48a
  3. Affected versionversion=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <3bf519e39b51cb08a93c0599870b35a23db1031e
  4. Affected versionversion=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <4640fa5ad5e1a0dbd1c2d22323b7d70a8107dcfd
  5. Affected versionversion=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <52b19b3a22306fe452ec9e8ff96063f4bfb77b99
  6. Affected versionversion=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <6cbba46934aefdfb5d171e0a95aec06c24f7ca30
  7. Affected versionversion=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <71a56b89203ec7e5670d94a61a9b4ae617eca804
  8. Affected versionversion=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <bd680e56e316be92c01568be98d85d7a6c9bd92c

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.10; version=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <01fbca1e93ec3f39f76c31a8f9afa32ce00da48a; version=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <3bf519e39b51cb08a93c0599870b35a23db1031e; version=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <4640fa5ad5e1a0dbd1c2d22323b7d70a8107dcfd; version=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <52b19b3a22306fe452ec9e8ff96063f4bfb77b99; version=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <6cbba46934aefdfb5d171e0a95aec06c24f7ca30; version=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <71a56b89203ec7e5670d94a61a9b4ae617eca804; version=846b46873eeb3baf40f7e6d8fe8f98aec95e7727 <bd680e56e316be92c01568be98d85d7a6c9bd92c

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-193Off-by-one Error
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

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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