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CVE-2026-23255

5.5 · MEDIUM

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: add proper RCU protection to /proc/net/ptype Yin Fengwei reported an RCU stall in ptype_seq_show() and provided a patch.

Published Mar 18, 2026EPSS 0.12%

Overview

CVE-2026-23255 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on March 18, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

Technical description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: add proper RCU protection to /proc/net/ptype

Yin Fengwei reported an RCU stall in ptype_seq_show() and provided

a patch.

Real issue is that ptype_seq_next() and ptype_seq_show() violate

RCU rules.

ptype_seq_show() runs under rcu_read_lock(), and reads pt->dev

to get device name without any barrier.

At the same time, concurrent writers can remove a packet_type structure

(which is correctly freed after an RCU grace period) and clear pt->dev

without an RCU grace period.

Define ptype_iter_state to carry a dev pointer along seq_net_private:

struct ptype_iter_state {

struct seq_net_private p;

struct net_device *dev; // added in this patch

};

We need to record the device pointer in ptype_get_idx() and

ptype_seq_next() so that ptype_seq_show() is safe against

concurrent pt->dev changes.

We also need to add full RCU protection in ptype_seq_next().

(Missing READ_ONCE() when reading list.next values)

Many thanks

Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-23255?

CVE-2026-23255 is a medium-severity vulnerability. It was published on March 18, 2026 and has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2026-23255?

This vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 5.5, rated MEDIUM. It requires local or adjacent network access to exploit. Some level of privileges is required for exploitation.

How do I fix or remediate CVE-2026-23255?

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

How can CyberStrike help with CVE-2026-23255?

CyberStrike is an open-source, AI-augmented pentesting engine. Rather than flag a version number, it tests whether an issue like CVE-2026-23255 is actually reachable in your own applications and APIs, then verifies each finding before reporting it. That tells you if the weakness is a real, exploitable risk in your environment or a false positive you can safely deprioritize.

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