CVE-2026-23389 ice: Fix memory leak in ice_set_ringparam()
A memory leak in the Intel ice network driver allows attackers to exhaust kernel memory, potentially causing a denial of service.
- 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-2026-23389?
CVE-2026-23389 is a medium-severity denial of service vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 25 Mar 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:
ice: Fix memory leak in ice_set_ringparam()
In ice_set_ringparam, tx_rings and xdp_rings are allocated before rx_rings. If the allocation of rx_rings fails, the code jumps to the done label leaking both tx_rings and xdp_rings. Furthermore, if the setup of an individual Rx ring fails during the loop, the code jumps to the free_tx label which releases tx_rings but leaks xdp_rings.
Fix this by introducing a free_xdp label and updating the error paths to ensure both xdp_rings and tx_rings are properly freed if rx_rings allocation or setup fails.
Compile tested only. Issue found using a prototype static analysis tool and code review.
Weakness: CWE-401
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-23389?
It affects 1 product.
Products include Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23389?
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-2026-23389 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-23389 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel
Sources
Also known as AZL-80735, BELL-CVE-2026-23389, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-23389, GHSA-4r22-fj9f-vv8r, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-23389, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-23389 and 4 more.