CVE-2026-23216
Use-After-Free in Linux Kernel iSCSI Target Connection Handling
Publication date: 2026-02-18
Last updated on: 2026-03-18
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 | From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.163 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.70 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.124 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | 6.19 |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.10 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.200 (exc) |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 3.1 (inc) to 5.10.250 (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 Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.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 issue in the Linux kernel's iSCSI target code, specifically in the function iscsit_dec_conn_usage_count().
The problem occurs because the function calls complete() while holding a connection usage lock (conn_usage_lock). When complete() is called, it can wake up a waiter function such as iscsit_close_connection(), which may free the connection structure (iscsit_conn) before the current thread finishes releasing the lock.
If the memory is freed before the lock is released, the function attempts to unlock a spinlock in a structure that has already been freed, causing a kernel address sanitizer (KASAN) slab-use-after-free error.
The fix involves releasing the spinlock before calling complete() to avoid this race condition.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability can lead to a use-after-free condition in the Linux kernel, which may cause system instability or crashes due to accessing freed memory.
Such memory corruption issues can potentially be exploited to escalate privileges or cause denial of service, depending on the attacker's capabilities and system configuration.
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?
I don't know
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
I don't know