CVE-2026-23255

MEDIUMCVSS 5.5/10EPSS 0.11%

Last modified

CVE-2026-23255 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: add proper RCU protection to /proc/net/ptype Yin Fengwei reported an RCU stall in ptype_seq_show() and provided a patch. Real issue is that ptype_seq_next() and ptype_seq_show() violate RCU rules. ptype_seq_show() runs under rcu_read_lock(), and reads pt->dev to get device name without any barrier. At the same time, concurrent writers can remove a packet_type structure (which is correctly freed after an RCU grace period) and clear pt->dev without an RCU grace period. Define ptype_iter_state to carry a dev pointer along seq_net_private: struct ptype_iter_state { struct seq_net_private p; struct net_device *dev; // added in this patch }; We need to record the device pointer in ptype_get_idx() and ptype_seq_next() so that ptype_seq_show() is safe against concurrent pt->dev changes. We also need to add full RCU protection in ptype_seq_next(). (Missing READ_ONCE() when reading list.next values) Many thanks to Dong Chenchen for providing a repro.. EPSS estimates a 0.11% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: add proper RCU protection to /proc/net/ptype Yin Fengwei reported an RCU stall in ptype_seq_show() and provided a patch. Real issue is that ptype_seq_next() and ptype_seq_show() violate RCU rules. ptype_seq_show() runs under rcu_read_lock(), and reads pt->dev to get device name without any barrier. At the same time, concurrent writers can remove a packet_type structure (which is correctly freed after an RCU grace period) and clear pt->dev without an RCU grace period. Define ptype_iter_state to carry a dev pointer along seq_net_private: struct ptype_iter_state { struct seq_net_private p; struct net_device *dev; // added in this patch }; We need to record the device pointer in ptype_get_idx() and ptype_seq_next() so that ptype_seq_show() is safe against concurrent pt->dev changes. We also need to add full RCU protection in ptype_seq_next(). (Missing READ_ONCE() when reading list.next values) Many thanks to Dong Chenchen for providing a repro.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1
5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS Probability
0.11%

1.7th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Affected Software

VendorProductVersionsUpdate
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 2.6.12.1, < 6.6.136
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.7, < 6.12.80
LinuxLinux Kernel>= 6.13, < 6.18.10
LinuxLinux Kernel2.6.12
LinuxLinux Kernel6.19Rc1

References

Timeline

Published
Last Modified
Status
Modified

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-23255?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: add proper RCU protection to /proc/net/ptype Yin Fengwei reported an RCU stall in ptype_seq_show() and provided a patch. Real issue is that ptype_seq_next() and ptype_seq_show() violate RCU rules. ptype_seq_show() runs under rcu_read_lock(), and reads pt->dev to get device name without any barrier. At the same time, concurrent writers can remove a packet_type structure (which is correctly freed after an RCU grace period) and clear pt->dev without an RCU grace period. Define ptype_iter_state to carry a dev pointer along seq_net_private: struct ptype_iter_state { struct seq_net_private p; struct net_device *dev; // added in this patch }; We need to record the device pointer in ptype_get_idx() and ptype_seq_next() so that ptype_seq_show() is safe against concurrent pt->dev changes. We also need to add full RCU protection in ptype_seq_next(). (Missing READ_ONCE() when reading list.next values) Many thanks to Dong Chenchen for providing a repro.
How severe is CVE-2026-23255?
CVE-2026-23255 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.11% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23255?
Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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Source: NVD / NIST