CVE-2026-23171
Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel Bonding Causes Crash
Publication date: 2026-02-14
Last updated on: 2026-04-03
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.15 (inc) to 6.18.9 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-416 | The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is a use-after-free bug in the Linux kernel's bonding driver. It occurs when a new slave device is added to a bonding interface but an enslave operation fails after the slave array has been updated. Because the new slave can be used immediately for transmission (Tx), the kernel may attempt to use memory that has already been freed during error cleanup, leading to a crash or memory corruption.
The issue arises because the slave update array is called before the enslave failure is fully handled, allowing the system to reference freed memory. The fix involves reordering operations to ensure the slave update array is called only after all enslave failures are resolved, preventing use-after-free errors.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to crash due to a general protection fault triggered by accessing freed memory. This can lead to system instability, denial of service, or unexpected behavior in network bonding interfaces.
An attacker or a misconfigured system could exploit this flaw to cause repeated kernel crashes, potentially disrupting network connectivity or causing downtime on affected systems.
How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:
I don't know
How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?
This vulnerability can be detected by attempting to reproduce the issue using the provided commands that trigger the use-after-free condition in the Linux kernel bonding driver.
- ip l add bond1 type bond mode balance-xor
- ip l set bond1 up
- ip l set dev bond1 xdp object xdp_pass.o sec xdp_pass
- ip l add dumdum type dummy
Then run in parallel:
- while :; do ip l set dumdum master bond1 1>/dev/null 2>&1; done;
- mausezahn bond1 -a own -b rand -A rand -B 1.1.1.1 -c 0 -t tcp "dp=1-1023, flags=syn"
If the system crashes or logs kernel oops messages similar to those shown in the description, it indicates the presence of the vulnerability.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
I don't know