CVE-2026-23396

Adjacent kernel crash via missing mesh configuration

Published Mar 26, 2026 · Updated Mar 26, 2026

NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel mac80211 mesh handling allows adjacent attackers to crash the kernel with a crafted CSA frame. The mesh_rx_csa_frame() path passes parsed action-frame elements to mesh_matches_local(), which dereferences ie->mesh_config without checking whether the Mesh Configuration IE is present. Exploitation requires an active mac80211 mesh interface within radio range and results in a kernel crash rather than 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

NULL pointer dereference in Linux Kernel mac80211 mesh handling allows adjacent attackers to crash the kernel with a crafted CSA frame. The mesh_rx_csa_frame() path passes parsed action-frame elements to mesh_matches_local(), which dereferences ie->mesh_config without checking whether the Mesh Configuration IE is present. Exploitation requires an active mac80211 mesh interface within radio range and results in a kernel crash rather than data access or modification.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23396
Published
Mar 26, 2026
Updated
Mar 26, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-476, T1499
Attack vector
adjacent
Privileges
unauthenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Mar 26, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Mar 26, 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=2.6.26
  2. Affected versionversion=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <0a4da176ae4b4e075a19c00d3e269cfd5e05a813
  3. Affected versionversion=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <44699c6cdfce80a0f296b54ae9314461e3e41b3d
  4. Affected versionversion=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <7c55a3deaf7eaaafa2546f8de7fed19382a0a116
  5. Affected versionversion=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <a90279e7f7ea0b7e923a1c5ebee9a6b78b6d1004
  6. Affected versionversion=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <c1e3f2416fb27c816ce96d747d3e784e31f4d95c
  7. Affected versionversion=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <c73bb9a2d33bf81f6eecaa0f474b6c6dbe9855bd

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectoradjacent
Required privilegesunauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=2.6.26; version=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <0a4da176ae4b4e075a19c00d3e269cfd5e05a813; version=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <44699c6cdfce80a0f296b54ae9314461e3e41b3d; version=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <7c55a3deaf7eaaafa2546f8de7fed19382a0a116; version=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <a90279e7f7ea0b7e923a1c5ebee9a6b78b6d1004; version=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <c1e3f2416fb27c816ce96d747d3e784e31f4d95c; version=2e3c8736820bf72a8ad10721c7e31d36d4fa7790 <c73bb9a2d33bf81f6eecaa0f474b6c6dbe9855bd

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)
Vectoradjacent
Privilegesunauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-476NULL Pointer Dereference
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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