CVE-2026-23444

Service interruption via unreleased transmit buffers

Published Apr 3, 2026 · Updated Apr 3, 2026

Resource exhaustion in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service by triggering a mac80211 transmit drop. The ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb function returns after ieee80211_tx_prepare reports TX_DROP without freeing the associated skb, unlike its other failure paths. Reachability requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the initial user namespace and physical Wi-Fi access through nl80211; repeated failures consume kernel memory.

CVSS severity7.8
High
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Resource exhaustion in the Linux kernel allows local users to interrupt service by triggering a mac80211 transmit drop. The ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb function returns after ieee80211_tx_prepare reports TX_DROP without freeing the associated skb, unlike its other failure paths. Reachability requires CAP_NET_ADMIN in the initial user namespace and physical Wi-Fi access through nl80211; repeated failures consume kernel memory.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-23444
Published
Apr 3, 2026
Updated
Apr 3, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 3, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Apr 3, 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=06be6b149f7e406bcf16098567f5a6c9f042bced <06e769dddcbeb3baf2ce346273b53dd61fdbecf4
  2. Affected versionversion=06be6b149f7e406bcf16098567f5a6c9f042bced <50f1b690b4868923fbd242298def2fb88662f108
  3. Affected versionversion=06be6b149f7e406bcf16098567f5a6c9f042bced <d5ad6ab61cbd89afdb60881f6274f74328af3ee9
  4. Affected versionversion=3.13

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=06be6b149f7e406bcf16098567f5a6c9f042bced <06e769dddcbeb3baf2ce346273b53dd61fdbecf4; version=06be6b149f7e406bcf16098567f5a6c9f042bced <50f1b690b4868923fbd242298def2fb88662f108; version=06be6b149f7e406bcf16098567f5a6c9f042bced <d5ad6ab61cbd89afdb60881f6274f74328af3ee9; version=3.13

Published CVSS scores

5.5UbuntuCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.8Linux Kernel CNACVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application 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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