System crash via stale f_ncm net_device
Published Mar 25, 2026 · Updated Mar 25, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel 3.11 through 6.18.16 and 6.19.6 allows attackers to crash the kernel through f_ncm. f_ncm.c allocates net_device in ncm_alloc_inst() and frees it only in ncm_free_inst(), allowing it to outlive the removed gadget parent and leave dangling sysfs links that network-interface operations dereference. Reachability requires an NCM gadget disconnect and subsequent access to the surviving interface; the assigning CNA rejects the CVE ID.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel 3.11 through 6.18.16 and 6.19.6 allows attackers to crash the kernel through f_ncm. f_ncm.c allocates net_device in ncm_alloc_inst() and frees it only in ncm_free_inst(), allowing it to outlive the removed gadget parent and leave dangling sysfs links that network-interface operations dereference. Reachability requires an NCM gadget disconnect and subsequent access to the surviving interface; the assigning CNA rejects the CVE ID.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-23320
- Published
- Mar 25, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- Unavailable
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 25, 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.
- Affected versionversion=3.11
- Affected versionversion=40d133d7f542616cf9538508a372306e626a16e9 <188338c1827842f898761a939669cf345bdf07e2
- Affected versionversion=40d133d7f542616cf9538508a372306e626a16e9 <56a512a9b4107079f68701e7d55da8507eb963d9
- Affected versionversion=40d133d7f542616cf9538508a372306e626a16e9 <b62076e780a2121903ecf9ffdfb89c64647cb7da
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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