Linux Kernel Wi-Fi subsystem Missing Release Of Memory After Effective Lifetime Rated 7.8 CVSS

Last refreshed2026-10-15

Status: UPDATED | Advisory ID: CVE-2026-23444

Key Details

CVE	CVE-2026-23444
CVSS Score / Version	7.8 (High) / CVSS v3.1
Updated	2026-10-15
CVSS Vector	`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`
CVSS Prose	attack vector is local; attack complexity is low; privileges required is low; user interaction is none; scope is unchanged; confidentiality impact is high; integrity impact is high; availability impact is high.
Affected products	Linux Kernel and Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem
Classified as	CWE-401 (Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime)
Exploitation prediction (EPSS)	0.14% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days (3% percentile) -- FIRST.org's EPSS model.

Vendor	Product	Affected Versions	Patch Status
Linux	Linux Kernel
Siemens	SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem

Vendor

Product

Affected Versions

Patch Status

Linux

Linux Kernel

Siemens

SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux subsystem

Subsystems	Controllers & Field I/O, OT Supporting Infrastructure
Sectors	All Sectors

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

wifi: mac80211: always free skb on ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() failure

ieee80211_tx_prepare_skb() has three error paths, but only two of them

free the skb. The first error path (ieee80211_tx_prepare() returning

TX_DROP) does not free it, while invoke_tx_handlers() failure and the

fragmentation check both do.

Add kfree_skb() to the first error path so all three are consistent,

and remove the now-redundant frees in callers (ath9k, mt76,

mac80211_hwsim) to avoid double-free.

Document the skb ownership guarantee in the function's kdoc. (NVD)

Monitor Linux's and Siemens's web pages for any future patch releases.

Source	Reference
NVD	https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23444
CVE	https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23444

Source

Reference

NVD

CVE