CVE-2026-23269
Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete
Out-of-Bounds Read in Linux AppArmor DFA State Validation

Publication date: 2026-03-18

Last updated on: 2026-05-29

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: apparmor: validate DFA start states are in bounds in unpack_pdb Start states are read from untrusted data and used as indexes into the DFA state tables. The aa_dfa_next() function call in unpack_pdb() will access dfa->tables[YYTD_ID_BASE][start], and if the start state exceeds the number of states in the DFA, this results in an out-of-bound read. ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in aa_dfa_next+0x2a1/0x360 Read of size 4 at addr ffff88811956fb90 by task su/1097 ... Reject policies with out-of-bounds start states during unpacking to prevent the issue.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-03-18
Last Modified
2026-05-29
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-03-18
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-14
NVD
CVE-2026-23269
EUVD
EUVD-2026-12912
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 10 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel 7.0
linux linux_kernel From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.130 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.77 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.203 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.169 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.18 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.8 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 3.4 (inc) to 5.10.253 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-125 The product reads data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's AppArmor component, specifically in the function unpack_pdb. It involves the validation of DFA (Deterministic Finite Automaton) start states, which are read from untrusted data and used as indexes into DFA state tables.

If the start state value exceeds the number of states in the DFA, the function aa_dfa_next() will perform an out-of-bounds read on the DFA tables. This means the kernel reads memory outside the intended bounds, which can lead to undefined behavior or potential security issues.

The vulnerability is addressed by rejecting policies that contain out-of-bounds start states during the unpacking process, preventing the out-of-bounds read.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to read memory outside the intended bounds, which may lead to system instability or crashes.

Because the out-of-bounds read is triggered by untrusted data, it could potentially be exploited by an attacker to cause denial of service or to leak sensitive information from kernel memory.

Compliance Impact

I don't know

Detection Guidance

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Mitigation Strategies

The vulnerability has been resolved by rejecting policies with out-of-bounds start states during unpacking. Therefore, to mitigate this vulnerability, you should update your Linux kernel to a version that includes this fix.

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