CVE-2026-23444
Last modified
CVE-2026-23444 is a medium-severity vulnerability rated 5.5/10 on the CVSS scale. In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: always free skb on ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() failure ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() has three error paths, but only two of them free the skb. The first error path (ieee80211_tx_prepare() returning TX_DROP) does not free it, while invoke_tx_handlers() failure and the fragmentation check both do. Add kfree_skb() to the first error path so all three are consistent, and remove the now-redundant frees in callers (ath9k, mt76, mac80211_hwsim) to avoid double-free. Document the skb ownership guarantee in the function's kdoc.. EPSS estimates a 0.13% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: wifi: mac80211: always free skb on ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() failure ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() has three error paths, but only two of them free the skb. The first error path (ieee80211_tx_prepare() returning TX_DROP) does not free it, while invoke_tx_handlers() failure and the fragmentation check both do. Add kfree_skb() to the first error path so all three are consistent, and remove the now-redundant frees in callers (ath9k, mt76, mac80211_hwsim) to avoid double-free. Document the skb ownership guarantee in the function's kdoc.
Metrics
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness Enumeration
Affected Software
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Update |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux Kernel | >= 3.13.1, < 6.18.20 | — |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | >= 6.19, < 6.19.10 | — |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 3.13 | — |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 7.0 | Rc1 |
References
Timeline
- Published
- Last Modified
- Status
- Modified
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CVE-2026-23444?
How severe is CVE-2026-23444?
How do I fix CVE-2026-23444?
How Strix Helps
- How Strix found a critical auth bypass in etcdStrix autonomously discovered a critical authentication bypass in etcd, later designated CVE-2026-33413.
- Autonomous PentestingAI agents that find and validate exploitable vulnerabilities like this one across your applications.
- PR ReviewsPentest every pull request so vulnerable code is caught before it ships to production.
- AI Penetration TestingHow AI-driven penetration testing continuously covers your attack surface.
Related CVEs from 2026
- CVE-2026-23439In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…5.5
- CVE-2026-2344A vulnerability in Plunet Plunet BusinessManager allows unau…8.6
- CVE-2026-23440In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…4.7
- CVE-2026-23441In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…4.7
- CVE-2026-23442In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…5.5
- CVE-2026-23443In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…5.5
- CVE-2026-23445In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…5.5
- CVE-2026-23446In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…5.5
- CVE-2026-23447In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…7.8
- CVE-2026-23448In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…7.8
- CVE-2026-23449In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been re…7.8
- CVE-2026-2345Proctorio Chrome Extension is a browser extension used for o…3.6
Are you affected by CVE-2026-23444?
Run a free Strix scan to check your systems for this vulnerability.
Scan your code nowSource: NVD / NIST
