HOMEVULNERABILITIESCVE-2026-23248
NONE

CVE-2026-23248

Published: March 18, 2026· Updated: Mar 18, 2026

EPSS:0.02%probability of exploitation in 30 daysPercentile:5.7th

Official Description

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

perf/core: Fix refcount bug and potential UAF in perf_mmap

Syzkaller reported a refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free warning

in perf_mmap.

The issue is caused by a race condition between a failing mmap() setup

and a concurrent mmap() on a dependent event (e.g., using output

redirection).

In perf_mmap(), the ring_buffer (rb) is allocated and assigned to

event->rb with the mmap_mutex held. The mutex is then released to

perform map_range().

If map_range() fails, perf_mmap_close() is called to clean up.

However, since the mutex was dropped, another thread attaching to

this event (via inherited events or output redirection) can acquire

the mutex, observe the valid event->rb pointer, and attempt to

increment its reference count. If the cleanup path has already

dropped the reference count to zero, this results in a

use-after-free or refcount saturation warning.

Fix this by extending the scope of mmap_mutex to cover the

map_range() call. This ensures that the ring buffer initialization

and mapping (or cleanup on failure) happens atomically effectively,

preventing other threads from accessing a half-initialized or

dying ring buffer.

NVD Source

Technical Analysis

CVE-2026-23248 requires local access, meaning attackers must already have a foothold on the target system.

Exploitation requires some privileges, which limits the exposure to scenarios where an attacker has already gained initial access.

Affected Vendors & Products

Mentioned vendors (from description):
Linux
CPE data not yet available in NVD for this CVE.

Exploit & PoC Resources

NO KNOWN EXPLOITNo public exploit confirmed at this time
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All References (3)

Quick Facts

CVE IDCVE-2026-23248
SeverityNONE
CISA KEVNo
EPSS (30d)0.02%
PublishedMar 18, 2026

Recommended Actions

  • Apply vendor patches immediately
  • Monitor CVE-2026-23248 in threat intel feeds
  • Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts
Data sourced from NVD (NIST), CISA KEV, and EPSS (FIRST). Analysis generated by CTIWATCH.COM. CVE data is provided under the NVD usage policy.