NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-23396

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Main Vulnerability Database Vulnerabilities #VU124643

NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-23396

Published: March 26, 2026


Vulnerability identifier: #VU124643
CSH Severity: Medium
CVSS v4: 5.1 [CVSS:4.0/AV:P/AC:L/AT:N/PR:N/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-23396
CWE-ID: CWE-476
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability: No public exploit available

Vulnerability details

The vulnerability allows an attacker with physical access to cause a denial of service.

The vulnerability exists due to improper pointer dereference in the mesh_matches_local() function in the Linux kernel's mac80211 subsystem when handling Wi-Fi mesh action frames. An attacker with physical access can send a specially crafted CSA action frame that includes a valid Mesh ID IE but omits the Mesh Configuration IE to cause a kernel NULL pointer dereference, resulting in a system crash.

The vulnerability specifically affects Wi-Fi mesh mode processing and requires the attacker to be within radio range to transmit the malicious frame. No authentication or user interaction is required for exploitation.


Affected software

Linux kernel
Debian Linux
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15
Development Tools Module
Legacy Module
Public Cloud Module
Basesystem Module
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching
SUSE Real Time Module
Ubuntu
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_54-rt-debuginfo
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_15-debugsource
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_54-rt
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_55-default-debuginfo
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_15-debugsource
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_55-default
linux (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-tegra (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iotg (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package)
linux (Debian package)
kernel-syms-rt
kernel-rt
kernel-source-rt
kernel-devel-rt
gfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo
cluster-md-kmp-rt
ocfs2-kmp-rt
gfs2-kmp-rt
cluster-md-kmp-rt-debuginfo
kernel-rt-debugsource
kernel-rt-debuginfo
kernel-rt-devel-debuginfo
dlm-kmp-rt-debuginfo
kernel-rt-devel
ocfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo
dlm-kmp-rt
kernel-default
ocfs2-kmp-default
cluster-md-kmp-default-debuginfo
dlm-kmp-default
gfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo
gfs2-kmp-default
kernel-default-debugsource
dlm-kmp-default-debuginfo
ocfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo
kernel-default-debuginfo
cluster-md-kmp-default
kernel-azure-debugsource
kernel-source
kernel-docs
kernel-syms
kernel-obs-build
kernel-obs-build-debugsource
kernel-azure
kernel-azure-debuginfo
kernel-azure-devel-debuginfo
kernel-64kb
kernel-64kb-devel-debuginfo
reiserfs-kmp-default-debuginfo
kernel-default-livepatch-devel
reiserfs-kmp-default
kernel-default-livepatch
kernel-default-extra
kernel-default-extra-debuginfo
kernel-azure-devel
kernel-zfcpdump-debuginfo
kernel-64kb-devel
kernel-64kb-debuginfo
kernel-64kb-debugsource
kernel-zfcpdump-debugsource
kernel-default-devel-debuginfo
kernel-default-devel
kernel-zfcpdump
kernel-macros
kernel-devel
kernel-default-base
linux-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package)

How to mitigate CVE-2026-23396

Install security update from vendor's repository.

Linux kernel - update to 7.0 rc3
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_54-rt-debuginfo - update to 1-150700.1.3.1
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_15-debugsource - update to 1-150700.1.3.1
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_54-rt - update to 1-150700.1.3.1
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_55-default-debuginfo - update to 1-150700.15.3.1
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_15-debugsource - update to 1-150700.15.3.1
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_55-default - update to 1-150700.15.3.1
linux (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.184.155, 5.15.0-184.194, 5.15.0-184.194~20.04.1, 5.15.0.186.166, 5.15.0-186.196, 5.15.0-186.196~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1075.78, 5.15.0-1075.79, 5.15.0.1095.94, 5.15.0-1095.103, 5.15.0.1104.100, 5.15.0-1104.109, 5.15.0.1108.107, 5.15.0-1108.114, 5.15.0.1111.115, 5.15.0-1111.120+fips1, 5.15.0.1112.102, 5.15.0.1112.109, 5.15.0-1112.122, 5.15.0-1112.122+fips1, 6.8.0-136.136, 6.8.0-1046.50, 6.8.0-1059.67, 6.8.0-1064.72, 6.8.0-1064.72~22.04.1, 6.8.1-1056.57, 6.8.1-1056.57~22.04.2
linux-aws (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.186.109, 5.15.0-186.196+fips1, 5.15.0.1106.103, 5.15.0-1106.110, 5.15.0.1107.107, 5.15.0-1107.108, 5.15.0.1112.108, 5.15.0.1112.115, 5.15.0-1112.119, 5.15.0-1112.119+fips1, 5.15.0-1112.119~20.04.1, 6.8.0-1061.64+1
linux-nvidia-tegra (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1053.53, 5.15.0.1053.55, 5.15.0.1064.64, 5.15.0-1064.66
linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1064.66~20.04.1
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1104.106, 5.15.0.1104.108, 5.15.0-1107.113~20.04.1
linux-ibm-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1106.110~20.04.1
linux-intel-iotg (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1107.106, 5.15.0-1107.113
linux-azure (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1109.105, 5.15.0-1109.115, 5.15.0.1117.115, 5.15.0-1117.126, 6.8.0-1063.71, 6.8.0-1063.71~22.04.1
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1109.115~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1117.126~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1117.126~20.04.2
linux-gcp-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1112.122~20.04.1
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1117.102, 5.15.0-1117.126+fips1, 6.8.0-1063.71+fips2
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1117.126, 6.8.0-1062.69
linux (Debian package) - addressed in versions 6.1.170-1, 6.12.85-1
kernel-syms-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-source-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-devel-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
gfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
cluster-md-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
ocfs2-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
gfs2-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
cluster-md-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-rt-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-rt-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
dlm-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-rt-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
ocfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
dlm-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.54.1
kernel-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
ocfs2-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
cluster-md-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
dlm-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
gfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
gfs2-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
dlm-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
ocfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
cluster-md-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-azure-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-source - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-docs - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-syms - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-obs-build - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-obs-build-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-azure - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-azure-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-azure-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-64kb - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-64kb-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
reiserfs-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-livepatch-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
reiserfs-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-livepatch - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-extra - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-extra-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-azure-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-zfcpdump-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-64kb-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-64kb-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-64kb-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-zfcpdump-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-zfcpdump - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-macros - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1
kernel-default-base - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.55.1.150700.17.33.1
linux-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-136.136+fips2, 6.8.0-136.136.2, 6.8.0-136.136.2~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1058.61
linux-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-136.136~22.04.1
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-1030.31, 6.8.0-1033.34, 6.8.0-1061.62, 6.8.0-1061.62~22.04.1
linux-oracle-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1058.61~22.04.1
linux-nvidia (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-1059.62, 6.8.0-1059.62.1, 6.8.0-1059.62~22.04.1
linux-aws-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-1061.64+fips1, 6.8.0-1061.64~22.04.1
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-1061.65, 6.8.0-2050.52
linux-azure-fde-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1062.69~22.04.1
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1064.72+fips1

External References

Related Security Bulletins