Vulnerability 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.
CVSS Score
HIGH
Affected Products
| Vendor | Product | Versions |
|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux Kernel | >= 3.13.1, < 6.18.20 |
Related Weaknesses (CWE)
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/06e769dddcbeb3baf2ce346273b53dd61fdbecf4Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3b4d27acafaeab478fd24f79ad6e593a892828b9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/50f1b690b4868923fbd242298def2fb88662f108Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5ad6ab61cbd89afdb60881f6274f74328af3ee9Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f77b51bcee7be2bb686b5f7a2d4a1921e4bdb9f4
FAQ
What is CVE-2026-23444?
CVE-2026-23444 is a vulnerability with a CVSS score of 7.8 (HIGH). 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 t...
How severe is CVE-2026-23444?
CVE-2026-23444 has been rated HIGH with a CVSS base score of 7.8/10. Review the CVSS metrics above for detailed severity breakdown.
Is there a patch for CVE-2026-23444?
Check the references section above for vendor advisories and patch information. Affected products include: Linux Linux Kernel.