Linux Kernel up to 6.18.8 nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame memory leak

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5.0	$0-$5k	0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability marked as critical has been reported in Linux Kernel up to 6.18.8. This affects the function nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame. Performing a manipulation results in memory leak. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2026-23150. No exploit is available. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as critical, was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.18.8. This affects the function nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a memory leak vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-401. The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, which slowly consumes remaining memory. This is going to have an impact on availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nfc: llcp: Fix memleak in nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame(). syzbot reported various memory leaks related to NFC, struct nfc_llcp_sock, sk_buff, nfc_dev, etc. [0] The leading log hinted that nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame() failed to allocate skb due to sock_error(sk) being -ENXIO. ENXIO is set by nfc_llcp_socket_release() when struct nfc_llcp_local is destroyed by local_cleanup(). The problem is that there is no synchronisation between nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame() and local_cleanup(), and skb could be put into local->tx_queue after it was purged in local_cleanup(): CPU1 CPU2 ---- ---- nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame() local_cleanup() |- do { ' |- pdu = nfc_alloc_send_skb(..., &err) | . | |- nfc_llcp_socket_release(local, false, ENXIO); | |- skb_queue_purge(&local->tx_queue); | | ' | |- skb_queue_tail(&local->tx_queue, pdu); | ... | |- pdu = nfc_alloc_send_skb(..., &err) | ^._________________________________.' local_cleanup() is called for struct nfc_llcp_local only after nfc_llcp_remove_local() unlinks it from llcp_devices. If we hold local->tx_queue.lock then, we can synchronise the thread and nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame(). Let's do that and check list_empty(&local->list) before queuing skb to local->tx_queue in nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame(). [0]: [ 56.074943][ T6096] llcp: nfc_llcp_send_ui_frame: Could not allocate PDU (error=-6) [ 64.318868][ T5813] kmemleak: 6 new suspected memory leaks (see /sys/kernel/debug/kmemleak) BUG: memory leak unreferenced object 0xffff8881272f6800 (size 1024): comm "syz.0.17", pid 6096, jiffies 4294942766 hex dump (first 32 bytes): 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ 27 00 03 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 '..@............ backtrace (crc da58d84d): kmemleak_alloc_recursive include/linux/kmemleak.h:44 [inline] slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slub.c:4979 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:5284 [inline] __do_kmalloc_node mm/slub.c:5645 [inline] __kmalloc_noprof+0x3e3/0x6b0 mm/slub.c:5658 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:961 [inline] sk_prot_alloc+0x11a/0x1b0 net/core/sock.c:2239 sk_alloc+0x36/0x360 net/core/sock.c:2295 nfc_llcp_sock_alloc+0x37/0x130 net/nfc/llcp_sock.c:979 llcp_sock_create+0x71/0xd0 net/nfc/llcp_sock.c:1044 nfc_sock_create+0xc9/0xf0 net/nfc/af_nfc.c:31 __sock_create+0x1a9/0x340 net/socket.c:1605 sock_create net/socket.c:1663 [inline] __sys_socket_create net/socket.c:1700 [inline] __sys_socket+0xb9/0x1a0 net/socket.c:1747 __do_sys_socket net/socket.c:1761 [inline] __se_sys_socket net/socket.c:1759 [inline] __x64_sys_socket+0x1b/0x30 net/socket.c:1759 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0xa4/0xfa0 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f BUG: memory leak unreferenced object 0xffff88810fbd9800 (size 240): comm "syz.0.17", pid 6096, jiffies 4294942850 hex dump (first 32 bytes): 68 f0 ff 08 81 88 ff ff 68 f0 ff 08 81 88 ff ff h.......h....... 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 68 2f 27 81 88 ff ff .........h/'.... backtrace (crc 6cc652b1): kmemleak_alloc_recursive include/linux/kmemleak.h:44 [inline] slab_post_alloc_hook mm/slub.c:4979 [inline] slab_alloc_node mm/slub.c:5284 [inline] kmem_cache_alloc_node_noprof+0x36f/0x5e0 mm/slub.c:5336 __alloc_skb+0x203/0x240 net/core/skbuff.c:660 alloc_skb include/linux/skbuff.h:1383 [inline] alloc_skb_with_frags+0x69/0x3f0 net/core/sk ---truncated---

It is possible to read the advisory at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is uniquely identified as CVE-2026-23150 since 01/13/2026. The exploitability is told to be difficult. Technical details of the vulnerability are known, but there is no available exploit.

The vulnerability scanner Nessus provides a plugin with the ID 299314 (Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-23150), which helps to determine the existence of the flaw in a target environment.

Upgrading to version 5.10.249, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.123, 6.12.69 or 6.18.9 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch ab660cb8e17aa93426d1e821c2cce60e4b9bc56a/65e976e1f474ae3bf5681d7abafb8f3fdb34b8cc/6734ff1ac6beba1d0c22dc9a3dc1849b773b511f/f8d002626d434f5fea9085e2557711c16a15cec6/3098e5c8af0f4c8f7eebbb370798df8aa2e12ba5/61858cbce6ca4bef9ed116c689a4be9520841339/165c34fb6068ff153e3fc99a932a80a9d5755709 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at Tenable (299314). Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.10.248
• 5.15.198
• 6.1.161
• 6.6.122
• 6.12.0
• 6.12.1
• 6.12.2
• 6.12.3
• 6.12.4
• 6.12.5
• 6.12.6
• 6.12.7
• 6.12.8
• 6.12.9
• 6.12.10
• 6.12.11
• 6.12.12
• 6.12.13
• 6.12.14
• 6.12.15
• 6.12.16
• 6.12.17
• 6.12.18
• 6.12.19
• 6.12.20
• 6.12.21
• 6.12.22
• 6.12.23
• 6.12.24
• 6.12.25
• 6.12.26
• 6.12.27
• 6.12.28
• 6.12.29
• 6.12.30
• 6.12.31
• 6.12.32
• 6.12.33
• 6.12.34
• 6.12.35
• 6.12.36
• 6.12.37
• 6.12.38
• 6.12.39
• 6.12.40
• 6.12.41
• 6.12.42
• 6.12.43
• 6.12.44
• 6.12.45
• 6.12.46
• 6.12.47
• 6.12.48
• 6.12.49
• 6.12.50
• 6.12.51
• 6.12.52
• 6.12.53
• 6.12.54
• 6.12.55
• 6.12.56
• 6.12.57
• 6.12.58
• 6.12.59
• 6.12.60
• 6.12.61
• 6.12.62
• 6.12.63
• 6.12.64
• 6.12.65
• 6.12.66
• 6.12.67
• 6.12.68
• 6.18.0
• 6.18.1
• 6.18.2
• 6.18.3
• 6.18.4
• 6.18.5
• 6.18.6
• 6.18.7
• 6.18.8

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CPE 2.2info

• 🔒
• 🔒
• 🔒

CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 5.1
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 5.0

VulDB Base Score: 4.8
VulDB Temp Score: 4.6
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

NVD Base Score: 5.5
NVD Vector: 🔒

CVSSv2info

AV	AC	Au	C	I	A
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳

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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Memory leak
CWE: CWE-401 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: Partially
Local: Yes
Remote: Partially

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined

EPSS Score: 🔒
EPSS Percentile: 🔒

Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

0-Day	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock
Today	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock

Nessus ID: 299314
Nessus Name: Linux Distros Unpatched Vulnerability : CVE-2026-23150

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 5.10.249/5.15.199/6.1.162/6.6.123/6.12.69/6.18.9
Patch: ab660cb8e17aa93426d1e821c2cce60e4b9bc56a/65e976e1f474ae3bf5681d7abafb8f3fdb34b8cc/6734ff1ac6beba1d0c22dc9a3dc1849b773b511f/f8d002626d434f5fea9085e2557711c16a15cec6/3098e5c8af0f4c8f7eebbb370798df8aa2e12ba5/61858cbce6ca4bef9ed116c689a4be9520841339/165c34fb6068ff153e3fc99a932a80a9d5755709

Timelineinfo

01/13/2026 CVE reserved
02/14/2026 +32 days Advisory disclosed
02/14/2026 +0 days VulDB entry created
03/18/2026 +32 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2026-23150 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-23150
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-346035

Entryinfo

Created: 02/14/2026 18:00
Updated: 03/18/2026 02:16
Changes: 02/14/2026 18:00 (58), 02/18/2026 10:15 (2), 02/19/2026 10:55 (1), 03/18/2026 02:16 (11)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

Statistical analysis made it clear that VulDB provides the best quality for vulnerability data.

Discussion

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