CVE-2026-23046 virtio_net: fix device mismatch in devm_kzalloc/devm_kfree
A device mismatch in virtio_net driver memory management causes a kernel warning and potential instability, requiring a patch for Linux kernel users.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-23046?
CVE-2026-23046 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 4 Feb 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
virtio_net: fix device mismatch in devm_kzalloc/devm_kfree
Initial rss_hdr allocation uses virtio_device->device, but virtnet_set_queues() frees using net_device->device. This device mismatch causing below devres warning
[ 3788.514041] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 3788.514044] WARNING: drivers/base/devres.c:1095 at devm_kfree+0x84/0x98, CPU#16: vdpa/1463 [ 3788.514054] Modules linked in: octep_vdpa virtio_net virtio_vdpa [last unloaded: virtio_vdpa] [ 3788.514064] CPU: 16 UID: 0 PID: 1463 Comm: vdpa Tainted: G W 6.18.0 #10 PREEMPT [ 3788.514067] Tainted: [W]=WARN [ 3788.514069] Hardware name: Marvell CN106XX board (DT) [ 3788.514071] pstate: 63400009 (nZCv daif +PAN -UAO +TCO +DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--) [ 3788.514074] pc : devm_kfree+0x84/0x98 [ 3788.514076] lr : devm_kfree+0x54/0x98 [ 3788.514079] sp : ffff800084e2f220 [ 3788.514080] x29: ffff800084e2f220 x28: ffff0003b2366000 x27: 000000000000003f [ 3788.514085] x26: 000000000000003f x25: ffff000106f17c10 x24: 0000000000000080 [ 3788.514089] x23: ffff00045bb8ab08 x22: ffff00045bb8a000 x21: 0000000000000018 [ 3788.514093] x20: ffff0004355c3080 x19: ffff00045bb8aa00 x18: 0000000000080000 [ 3788.514098] x17: 0000000000000040 x16: 000000000000001f x15: 000000000007ffff [ 3788.514102] x14: 0000000000000488 x13: 0000000000000005 x12: 00000000000fffff [ 3788.514106] x11: ffffffffffffffff x10: 0000000000000005 x9 : ffff800080c8c05c [ 3788.514110] x8 : ffff800084e2eeb8 x7 : 0000000000000000 x6 : 000000000000003f [ 3788.514115] x5 : ffff8000831bafe0 x4 : ffff800080c8b010 x3 : ffff0004355c3080 [ 3788.514119] x2 : ffff0004355c3080 x1 : 0000000000000000 x0 : 0000000000000000 [ 3788.514123] Call trace: [ 3788.514125] devm_kfree+0x84/0x98 (P) [ 3788.514129] virtnet_set_queues+0x134/0x2e8 [virtio_net] [ 3788.514135] virtnet_probe+0x9c0/0xe00 [virtio_net] [ 3788.514139] virtio_dev_probe+0x1e0/0x338 [ 3788.514144] really_probe+0xc8/0x3a0 [ 3788.514149] __driver_probe_device+0x84/0x170 [ 3788.514152] driver_probe_device+0x44/0x120 [ 3788.514155] __device_attach_driver+0xc4/0x168 [ 3788.514158] bus_for_each_drv+0x8c/0xf0 [ 3788.514161] __device_attach+0xa4/0x1c0 [ 3788.514164] device_initial_probe+0x1c/0x30 [ 3788.514168] bus_probe_device+0xb4/0xc0 [ 3788.514170] device_add+0x614/0x828 [ 3788.514173] register_virtio_device+0x214/0x258 [ 3788.514175] virtio_vdpa_probe+0xa0/0x110 [virtio_vdpa] [ 3788.514179] vdpa_dev_probe+0xa8/0xd8 [ 3788.514183] really_probe+0xc8/0x3a0 [ 3788.514186] __driver_probe_device+0x84/0x170 [ 3788.514189] driver_probe_device+0x44/0x120 [ 3788.514192] __device_attach_driver+0xc4/0x168 [ 3788.514195] bus_for_each_drv+0x8c/0xf0 [ 3788.514197] __device_attach+0xa4/0x1c0 [ 3788.514200] device_initial_probe+0x1c/0x30 [ 3788.514203] bus_probe_device+0xb4/0xc0 [ 3788.514206] device_add+0x614/0x828 [ 3788.514209] _vdpa_register_device+0x58/0x88 [ 3788.514211] octep_vdpa_dev_add+0x104/0x228 [octep_vdpa] [ 3788.514215] vdpa_nl_cmd_dev_add_set_doit+0x2d0/0x3c0 [ 3788.514218] genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0xe4/0x158 [ 3788.514222] genl_rcv_msg+0x218/0x298 [ 3788.514225] netlink_rcv_skb+0x64/0x138 [ 3788.514229] genl_rcv+0x40/0x60 [ 3788.514233] netlink_unicast+0x32c/0x3b0 [ 3788.514237] netlink_sendmsg+0x170/0x3b8 [ 3788.514241] __sys_sendto+0x12c/0x1c0 [ 3788.514246] __arm64_sys_sendto+0x30/0x48 [ 3788.514249] invoke_syscall.constprop.0+0x58/0xf8 [ 3788.514255] do_el0_svc+0x48/0xd0 [ 3788.514259] el0_svc+0x48/0x210 [ 3788.514264] el0t_64_sync_handler+0xa0/0xe8 [ 3788.514268] el0t_64_sync+0x198/0x1a0 [ 3788.514271] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
Fix by using virtio_device->device consistently for allocation and deallocation
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23046?
How do I fix CVE-2026-23046?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-23046 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23046 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-23046, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23046, GHSA-ppvw-hxrc-mgfc, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-23046.