CVE-2026-23216 scsi: target: iscsi: Fix use-after-free in iscsit_dec_conn_usage_count()
A use-after-free in the Linux kernel iSCSI target allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges via race conditions.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-23216?
CVE-2026-23216 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 18 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:
scsi: target: iscsi: Fix use-after-free in iscsit_dec_conn_usage_count()
In iscsit_dec_conn_usage_count(), the function calls complete() while holding the conn->conn_usage_lock. As soon as complete() is invoked, the waiter (such as iscsit_close_connection()) may wake up and proceed to free the iscsit_conn structure.
If the waiter frees the memory before the current thread reaches spin_unlock_bh(), it results in a KASAN slab-use-after-free as the function attempts to release a lock within the already-freed connection structure.
Fix this by releasing the spinlock before calling complete().
Weakness: CWE-416
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23216?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23216?
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-2026-23216 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23216 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as AZL-77861, BELL-CVE-2026-23216, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23216, GHSA-jfq5-qg8x-7rmp, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-23216, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-23216 and 3 more.