CVE-2026-23444
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.
Does this matter?
Lower severity and a low EPSS score (0.13%). Track it; it rarely justifies an emergency change on its own.
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 3.1
- 5.5 MEDIUMCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
- EPSS
- 0.13% probability · 3th percentile
- CISA KEV
- Not listed
- Weakness
- CWE-401
- Affected
- linux/linux kernel
- Source
- 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
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/5ef8ca1c164786da24169af155c1ca1ff1353cf8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/905ef207d5ed99ca64adfe39fba9ac46e434327a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9a779d1f480e83720b5384adf165604e7ee226bd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d5ad6ab61cbd89afdb60881f6274f74328af3ee9Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f77b51bcee7be2bb686b5f7a2d4a1921e4bdb9f4
Source: NVD record, EPSS from FIRST.org, KEV from CISA. Refreshed daily.