CVE-2026-23098 netrom: fix double-free in nr_route_frame()
A double-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's netrom module allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code.
- 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-2026-23098?
CVE-2026-23098 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, 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:
netrom: fix double-free in nr_route_frame()
In nr_route_frame(), old_skb is immediately freed without checking if nr_neigh->ax25 pointer is NULL. Therefore, if nr_neigh->ax25 is NULL, the caller function will free old_skb again, causing a double-free bug.
Therefore, to prevent this, we need to modify it to check whether nr_neigh->ax25 is NULL before freeing old_skb.
Weakness: CWE-415
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23098?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23098?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-23098 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23098 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as AZL-77229, BELL-CVE-2026-23098, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23098, GHSA-6qxm-gr5m-j478, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-23098, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-23098 and 1 more.