# CVE-2026-23193: scsi: target: iscsi: Fix use-after-free in iscsit_dec_session_usage_count()

> A use-after-free race condition in the Linux kernel iSCSI target allows attackers to cause denial of service or potentially execute code.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 14 Feb 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-77718, BELL-CVE-2026-23193, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23193, GHSA-fccp-g2rw-8q2g, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-23193, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-23193, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-23193, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-23193, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-23193, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-23193

## What is CVE-2026-23193?

CVE-2026-23193 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 14 Feb 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

scsi: target: iscsi: Fix use-after-free in iscsit_dec_session_usage_count()

In iscsit_dec_session_usage_count(), the function calls complete() while
holding the sess->session_usage_lock. Similar to the connection usage count
logic, the waiter signaled by complete() (e.g., in the session release
path) may wake up and free the iscsit_session structure immediately.

This creates a race condition where the current thread may attempt to
execute spin_unlock_bh() on a session structure that has already been
deallocated, resulting in a KASAN slab-use-after-free.

To resolve this, release the session_usage_lock before calling complete()
to ensure all dereferences of the sess pointer are finished before the
waiter is allowed to proceed with deallocation.

Weakness: CWE-416 (Use After Free)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23193?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-23193?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-23193 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23193 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-23193 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-23193 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 14 Feb 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23193 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. 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-2026-23193/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23193/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23193
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23193
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-23193

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-23193/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.