# 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.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 4 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 11 May 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-23046, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23046, GHSA-ppvw-hxrc-mgfc, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-23046

## 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.

## Is CVE-2026-23046 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23046 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-23046 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23046 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23046/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23046/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23046
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23046
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23046

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23046/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.