CVE-2026-23228 smb: server: fix leak of active_num_conn in ksmbd_tcp_new_connection()
A resource leak in the Linux kernel's ksmbd SMB server can lead to denial of service by exhausting connection counters.
- 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-2026-23228?
CVE-2026-23228 is a medium-severity denial of service 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:
smb: server: fix leak of active_num_conn in ksmbd_tcp_new_connection()
On kthread_run() failure in ksmbd_tcp_new_connection(), the transport is freed via free_transport(), which does not decrement active_num_conn, leaking this counter.
Replace free_transport() with ksmbd_tcp_disconnect().
Weakness: CWE-401
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23228?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23228?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-23228 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23228 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-23228, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23228, GHSA-j6h2-wr53-6vcg, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-23228, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-23228, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-23228 and 2 more.