CVE-2026-23332
Published: March 25, 2026· Updated: Mar 25, 2026
Official Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
cpufreq: intel_pstate: Fix crash during turbo disable
When the system is booted with kernel command line argument "nosmt" or
"maxcpus" to limit the number of CPUs, disabling turbo via:
echo 1 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/intel_pstate/no_turbo
results in a crash:
PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
PGD 0 P4D 0
Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP PTI
...
RIP: 0010:store_no_turbo+0x100/0x1f0
...
This occurs because for_each_possible_cpu() returns CPUs even if they
are not online. For those CPUs, all_cpu_data[] will be NULL. Since
commit 973207ae3d7c ("cpufreq: intel_pstate: Rearrange max frequency
updates handling code"), all_cpu_data[] is dereferenced even for CPUs
which are not online, causing the NULL pointer dereference.
To fix that, pass CPU number to intel_pstate_update_max_freq() and use
all_cpu_data[] for those CPUs for which there is a valid cpufreq policy.
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-23332 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
Exploit & PoC Resources
All References (3)
Quick Facts
Recommended Actions
- →Apply vendor patches immediately
- →Monitor CVE-2026-23332 in threat intel feeds
- →Review IDS/IPS signatures for exploitation attempts