CVE-2026-23449
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net/sched: teql: Fix double-free in teql_master_xmit
Whenever a TEQL devices has a lockless Qdisc as root, qdisc_reset should be called using the seq_lock to avoid racing with the datapath. Failure to do so may cause crashes like the following:
[ 238.028993][ T318] BUG: KASAN: double-free in skb_release_data (net/core/skbuff.c:1139) [ 238.029328][ T318] Free of addr ffff88810c67ec00 by task poc_teql_uaf_ke/318 [ 238.029749][ T318] [ 238.029900][ T318] CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 318 Comm: poc_teql_ke Not tainted 7.0.0-rc3-00149-ge5b31d988a41 #704 PREEMPT(full) [ 238.029906][ T318] Hardware name: Bochs Bochs, BIOS Bochs 01/01/2011 [ 238.029910][ T318] Call Trace: [ 238.029913][ T318] [ 238.029916][ T318] dump_stack_lvl (lib/dump_stack.c:122) [ 238.029928][ T318] print_report (mm/kasan/report.c:379 mm/kasan/report.c:482) [ 238.029940][ T318] ? skb_release_data (net/core/skbuff.c:1139) [ 238.029944][ T318] ? srso_alias_return_thunk (arch/x86/lib/retpoline.S:221) ... [ 238.029957][ T318] ? skb_release_data (net/core/skbuff.c:1139) [ 238.029969][ T318] kasan_report_invalid_free (mm/kasan/report.c:221 mm/kasan/report.c:563) [ 238.029979][ T318] ? skb_release_data (net/core/skbuff.c:1139) [ 238.029989][ T318] check_slab_allocation (mm/kasan/common.c:231) [ 238.029995][ T318] kmem_cache_free (mm/slub.c:2637 (discriminator 1) mm/slub.c:6168 (discriminator 1) mm/slub.c:6298 (discriminator 1)) [ 238.030004][ T318] skb_release_data (net/core/skbuff.c:1139) ... [ 238.030025][ T318] sk_skb_reason_drop (net/core/skbuff.c:1256) [ 238.030032][ T318] pfifo_fast_reset (./include/linux/ptr_ring.h:171 ./include/linux/ptr_ring.h:309 ./include/linux/skb_array.h:98 net/sched/sch_generic.c:827) [ 238.030039][ T318] ? srso_alias_return_thunk (arch/x86/lib/retpoline.S:221) ... [ 238.030054][ T318] qdisc_reset (net/sched/sch_generic.c:1034) [ 238.030062][ T318] teql_destroy (./include/linux/spinlock.h:395 net/sched/sch_teql.c:157) [ 238.030071][ T318] __qdisc_destroy (./include/net/pkt_sched.h:328 net/sched/sch_generic.c:1077) [ 238.030077][ T318] qdisc_graft (net/sched/sch_api.c:1062 net/sched/sch_api.c:1053 net/sched/sch_api.c:1159) [ 238.030089][ T318] ? __pfx_qdisc_graft (net/sched/sch_api.c:1091) [ 238.030095][ T318] ? srso_alias_return_thunk (arch/x86/lib/retpoline.S:221) [ 238.030102][ T318] ? srso_alias_return_thunk (arch/x86/lib/retpoline.S:221) [ 238.030106][ T318] ? srso_alias_return_thunk (arch/x86/lib/retpoline.S:221) [ 238.030114][ T318] tc_get_qdisc (net/sched/sch_api.c:1529 net/sched/sch_api.c:1556) ... [ 238.072958][ T318] Allocated by task 303 on cpu 5 at 238.026275s: [ 238.073392][ T318] kasan_save_stack (mm/kasan/common.c:58) [ 238.073884][ T318] kasan_save_track (mm/kasan/common.c:64 (discriminator 5) mm/kasan/common.c:79 (discriminator 5)) [ 238.074230][ T318] __kasan_slab_alloc (mm/kasan/common.c:369) [ 238.074578][ T318] kmem_cache_alloc_node_noprof (./include/linux/kasan.h:253 mm/slub.c:4542 mm/slub.c:4869 mm/slub.c:4921) [ 238.076091][ T318] kmalloc_reserve (net/core/skbuff.c:616 (discriminator 107)) [ 238.076450][ T318] __alloc_skb (net/core/skbuff.c:713) [ 238.076834][ T318] alloc_skb_with_frags (./include/linux/skbuff.h:1383 net/core/skbuff.c:6763) [ 238.077178][ T318] sock_alloc_send_pskb (net/core/sock.c:2997) [ 238.077520][ T318] packet_sendmsg (net/packet/af_packet.c:2926 net/packet/af_packet.c:3019 net/packet/af_packet.c:3108) [ 238.081469][ T318] [ 238.081870][ T318] Freed by task 299 on cpu 1 at 238.028496s: [ 238.082761][ T318] kasan_save_stack (mm/kasan/common.c:58) [ 238.083481][ T318] kasan_save_track (mm/kasan/common.c:64 (discriminator 5) mm/kasan/common.c:79 (discriminator 5)) [ 238.085348][ T318] kasan_save_free_info (mm/kasan/generic.c:587 (discriminator 1)) [ 238.085900][ T318] __kasan_slab_free (mm/ ---truncated---
AI Insight
LLM-synthesized narrative grounded in this CVE's description and references.
A double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's TEQL (trivial link equalizer) Qdisc can be triggered when a locklessly, leading to a crash or potential code execution.
Vulnerability
Overview
CVE-2026-23449 is a double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's net/sched/teql (trivial link equalizer) Qdisc implementation. The root cause is that when a TEQL device has a lockless Qdisc as its root, the qdisc_reset function is called without proper serialization using the seq_lock. This creates a race condition with the datapath, allowing the same socket buffer (skb) to be freed twice [1].
Exploitation
An attacker with local access and the ability to create TEQL devices with lockless Qdiscs can trigger the race condition. The exploit requires crafting a specific sequence of operations that cause the datapath to access and free a skb while the reset path also attempts to free it. The provided kernel crash trace shows the double-free occurring in skb_release_data during pfifo_fast_reset called from qdisc_reset [2].
Impact
Successful exploitation leads to a kernel crash (denial of service) due to the double-free. In some configurations, this memory corruption could potentially be leveraged for privilege escalation or arbitrary code execution, though the primary impact is system instability [3].
Mitigation
The fix has been applied to the Linux kernel stable branches. Users should update to a kernel version containing the commit that adds proper seq_lock protection around qdisc_reset in the TEQL destroy path [4]. No workaround is available other than applying the patch.
AI Insight generated on May 18, 2026. Synthesized from this CVE's description and the cited reference URLs; citations are validated against the source bundle.
Affected products
1Patches
0No patches discovered yet.
Vulnerability mechanics
AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.
References
6- git.kernel.org/stable/c/21c89a0a8de7eadad8d385645a95b3233f23130envd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a233447b941db451ea5f5a0942cffd0f7f7eaaenvd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/4e8ebc4c18ea8213d28e6cb867d18fcc67daca21nvd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/66360460cab63c248ca5b1070a01c0c29133b960nvd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/afbc79a7770b230a9f24bd39271209d6b3682c5fnvd
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e9c66d3e7d8557b3308e55c613aa07254fe97611nvd
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