CVE-2026-23257

Service interruption via skipped cleanup index

Published Mar 18, 2026 · Updated Mar 18, 2026

An off-by-one error in the Linux kernel liquidio driver allows attackers with local access to leak kernel memory and interrupt service. After setup_nic_devices() jumps to setup_nic_dev_free on an initialization failure, the decrementing cleanup loop skips the failing array index and leaves that allocation unreleased. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and a failure during LiquidIO PF device initialization; the reported consequence is an availability-only memory leak.

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

An off-by-one error in the Linux kernel liquidio driver allows attackers with local access to leak kernel memory and interrupt service. After setup_nic_devices() jumps to setup_nic_dev_free on an initialization failure, the decrementing cleanup loop skips the failing array index and leaves that allocation unreleased. Exploitation requires local low-privilege access and a failure during LiquidIO PF device initialization; the reported consequence is an availability-only memory leak.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23257
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=4.2
  2. Affected versionversion=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <293eaad0d6d6b2a37a458c7deb7be345349cd963
  3. Affected versionversion=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <8558aef4e8a1a83049ab906d21d391093cfa7e7f
  4. Affected versionversion=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <a0d2389c8cdc1f05de5eb8663bffe9ed05dca769
  5. Affected versionversion=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <af38d9a5cb49fe9d0d282b44f17fdc1f3270d99d
  6. Affected versionversion=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <d86c58eb005eb99da402452f3db7a6e0eae32815
  7. Affected versionversion=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <f1216b80c9040a904d2ad7c8cd24ca0ff1f36932
  8. Affected versionversion=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <f86bd16280a0f88b538394e0565c56ce4756da99

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=4.2; version=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <293eaad0d6d6b2a37a458c7deb7be345349cd963; version=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <8558aef4e8a1a83049ab906d21d391093cfa7e7f; version=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <a0d2389c8cdc1f05de5eb8663bffe9ed05dca769; version=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <af38d9a5cb49fe9d0d282b44f17fdc1f3270d99d; version=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <d86c58eb005eb99da402452f3db7a6e0eae32815; version=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <f1216b80c9040a904d2ad7c8cd24ca0ff1f36932; version=f21fb3ed364bb83533c5efe19354e337ea9ecda9 <f86bd16280a0f88b538394e0565c56ce4756da99

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

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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