Linux: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2026-23453 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions d16d57dedcb69c1a1257e0638f8698ce1f0ccbe5, 719d3e71691db7c4f1658ba5a6d1472928121594 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 0.36% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to d16d57dedcb69c1a1257e0638f8698ce1f0ccbe5 or 719d3e71691db7c4f1658ba5a6d1472928121594, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.19.10 or a later version.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 7a64bb388df3cf091afdd047c701039a13acd3b4 up to, but not including, d16d57dedcb69c1a1257e0638f8698ce1f0ccbe5; 7a64bb388df3cf091afdd047c701039a13acd3b4 up to, but not including, 719d3e71691db7c4f1658ba5a6d1472928121594; 6.19 | d16d57dedcb69c1a1257e0638f8698ce1f0ccbe5, 719d3e71691db7c4f1658ba5a6d1472928121594 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.19 up to, but not including, 6.19.10; 7.0 | 6.19.10 |
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
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ti: icssg-prueth: Fix memory leak in XDP_DROP for non-zero-copy mode Page recycling was removed from the XDP_DROP path in emac_run_xdp() to avoid conflicts with AF_XDP zero-copy mode, which uses xsk_buff_free() instead. However, this causes a memory leak when running XDP programs that drop packets in non-zero-copy mode (standard page pool mode). The pages are never returned to the page pool, leading to OOM conditions. Fix this by handling cleanup in the caller, emac_rx_packet(). When emac_run_xdp() returns ICSSG_XDP_CONSUMED for XDP_DROP, the caller now recycles the page back to the page pool. The zero-copy path, emac_rx_packet_zc() already handles cleanup correctly with xsk_buff_free().
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.
More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 8.6 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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