CVE-2026-23320
Vulnerability Scoring
Status: Awaiting Analysis
Published on: 25 Mar 2026, 11:16 UTC
CVSS Release:
CVE-2026-23320: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: usb: gadget: f_ncm: align net_device lifecycle with bind/unbind Currently, the net_device is allocated in ncm_alloc_inst() and freed in ncm_free_inst(). This ties the network interface's lifetime to the configuration instance rather than the USB connection (bind/unbind). This decoupling causes issues when the USB gadget is disconnected where the underlying gadget device is removed. The net_device can outlive its parent, leading to dangling sysfs links and NULL pointer dereferences when accessing the freed gadget device. Problem 1: NULL pointer dereference on disconnect Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 0000000000000000 Call trace: __pi_strlen+0x14/0x150 rtnl_fill_ifinfo+0x6b4/0x708 rtmsg_ifinfo_build_skb+0xd8/0x13c rtmsg_ifinfo+0x50/0xa0 __dev_notify_flags+0x4c/0x1f0 dev_change_flags+0x54/0x70 do_setlink+0x390/0xebc rtnl_newlink+0x7d0/0xac8 rtnetlink_rcv_msg+0x27c/0x410 netlink_rcv_skb+0x134/0x150 rtnetlink_rcv+0x18/0x28 netlink_unicast+0x254/0x3f0 netlink_sendmsg+0x2e0/0x3d4 Problem 2: Dangling sysfs symlinks console:/ # ls -l /sys/class/net/ncm0 lrwxrwxrwx ... /sys/class/net/ncm0 -> /sys/devices/platform/.../gadget.0/net/ncm0 console:/ # ls -l /sys/devices/platform/.../gadget.0/net/ncm0 ls: .../gadget.0/net/ncm0: No such file or directory Move the net_device allocation to ncm_bind() and deallocation to ncm_unbind(). This ensures the network interface exists only when the gadget function is actually bound to a configuration. To support pre-bind configuration (e.g., setting interface name or MAC address via configfs), cache user-provided options in f_ncm_opts using the gether_opts structure. Apply these cached settings to the net_device upon creation in ncm_bind(). Preserve the use-after-free fix from commit 6334b8e4553c ("usb: gadget: f_ncm: Fix UAF ncm object at re-bind after usb ep transport error"). Check opts->net in ncm_set_alt() and ncm_disable() to ensure gether_disconnect() runs only if a connection was established.
The exploitability of CVE-2026-23320 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
No exploitability data is available for CVE-2026-23320.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2026-23320, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2026-23320, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
Unknown
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