CyberSecBulletin
CVE-2026-23068NVD status: Analyzed

Linux: Double Free

Published Updated By the CyberSecBulletin desk

CVE-2026-23068 is a high-severity double free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions bddd3d10d039729b81cfb0804520c8832a701a0e, 417cdfd9b9f986e95bfcb1d68eb443e6e0a15f8c, 346775f2b4cf839177e8e86b94aa180a06dc15b0 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.15% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.

Next patch cycle

High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.

What to do

  1. Update Linux to bddd3d10d039729b81cfb0804520c8832a701a0e or 417cdfd9b9f986e95bfcb1d68eb443e6e0a15f8c or 346775f2b4cf839177e8e86b94aa180a06dc15b0 or f6d6b3f172df118db582fe5ec43ae223a55d99cf, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
  2. Update Linux Kernel to 6.1.162 or 6.6.122 or 6.12.68 or 6.18.8, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.

Affected products and versions

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed in
LinuxLinuxac1775012058e13ef1522938e27f5973d9e3f053 up to, but not including, bddd3d10d039729b81cfb0804520c8832a701a0e; ac1775012058e13ef1522938e27f5973d9e3f053 up to, but not including, 417cdfd9b9f986e95bfcb1d68eb443e6e0a15f8c; ac1775012058e13ef1522938e27f5973d9e3f053 up to, but not including, 346775f2b4cf839177e8e86b94aa180a06dc15b0; ac1775012058e13ef1522938e27f5973d9e3f053 up to, but not including, f6d6b3f172df118db582fe5ec43ae223a55d99cf; ac1775012058e13ef1522938e27f5973d9e3f053 up to, but not including, 383d4f5cffcc8df930d95b06518a9d25a6d74aac; 4.17bddd3d10d039729b81cfb0804520c8832a701a0e, 417cdfd9b9f986e95bfcb1d68eb443e6e0a15f8c, 346775f2b4cf839177e8e86b94aa180a06dc15b0, f6d6b3f172df118db582fe5ec43ae223a55d99cf, 383d4f5cffcc8df930d95b06518a9d25a6d74aac
LinuxLinux Kernel4.17 up to, but not including, 6.1.162; 6.2 up to, but not including, 6.6.122; 6.7 up to, but not including, 6.12.68; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.8; 6.196.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68, 6.18.8

Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.

How the severity score breaks down

Attack vector
LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
Attack complexity
LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
Privileges required
LowA basic user account is enough.
User interaction
NoneNo action by a victim is required.
Scope
UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
Confidentiality
HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
Integrity
HighData or code can be modified at will.
Availability
HighThe component can be taken down completely.

Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: spi: spi-sprd-adi: Fix double free in probe error path The driver currently uses spi_alloc_host() to allocate the controller but registers it using devm_spi_register_controller(). If devm_register_restart_handler() fails, the code jumps to the put_ctlr label and calls spi_controller_put(). However, since the controller was registered via a devm function, the device core will automatically call spi_controller_put() again when the probe fails. This results in a double-free of the spi_controller structure. Fix this by switching to devm_spi_alloc_host() and removing the manual spi_controller_put() call.

Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.

The underlying weakness: Double Free

The product calls free() twice on the same memory address.

How developers prevent this class of flaw

  • Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
  • Ensure that each allocation is freed only once. After freeing a chunk, set the pointer to NULL to ensure the pointer cannot be freed again. In complicated error conditions, be sure that clean-up routines respect the state of allocation properly. If the language is object oriented, ensure that object destructors delete each chunk of memory only once.
  • Use a static analysis tool to find double free instances.

More Double Free vulnerabilities (CWE-415)

Timeline

  1. CVE record published.
  2. Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).

References

Recent Double Free vulnerabilities

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