Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-23244

HIGH · 7.1 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-03-18

Fix available

A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.6.130 / 6.12.77 or later.

See remediation →

73/100

Remediation priority · Elevated

Zero-click Patch available

Official description

NVD · unedited

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme: fix memory allocation in nvme_pr_read_keys() nvme_pr_read_keys() takes num_keys from userspace and uses it to calculate the allocation size for rse via struct_size(). The upper limit is PR_KEYS_MAX (64K). A malicious or buggy userspace can pass a large num_keys value that results in a 4MB allocation attempt at most, causing a warning in the page allocator when the order exceeds MAX_PAGE_ORDER. To fix this, use kvzalloc() instead of kzalloc(). This bug has the same reasoning and fix with the patch below: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-block/[email protected]/ Warning log: WARNING: mm/page_alloc.c:5216 at __alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x5aa/0x2300 mm/page_alloc.c:5216, CPU#1: syz-executor117/272 Modules linked in: CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 272 Comm: syz-executor117 Not tainted 6.19.0 #1 PREEMPT(voluntary) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.16.3-0-ga6ed6b701f0a-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:__alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x5aa/0x2300 mm/page_alloc.c:5216 Code: ff 83 bd a8 fe ff ff 0a 0f 86 69 fb ff ff 0f b6 1d f9 f9 c4 04 80 fb 01 0f 87 3b 76 30 ff 83 e3 01 75 09 c6 05 e4 f9 c4 04 01 <0f> 0b 48 c7 85 70 fe ff ff 00 00 00 00 e9 8f fd ff ff 31 c0 e9 0d RSP: 0018:ffffc90000fcf450 EFLAGS: 00010246 RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 1ffff920001f9ea0 RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 000000000000000b RDI: 0000000000040dc0 RBP: ffffc90000fcf648 R08: ffff88800b6c3380 R09: 0000000000000001 R10: ffffc90000fcf840 R11: ffff88807ffad280 R12: 0000000000000000 R13: 0000000000040dc0 R14: 0000000000000001 R15: ffffc90000fcf620 FS: 0000555565db33c0(0000) GS:ffff8880be26c000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 000000002000000c CR3: 0000000003b72000 CR4: 00000000000006f0 Call Trace: <TASK> alloc_pages_mpol+0x236/0x4d0 mm/mempolicy.c:2486 alloc_frozen_pages_noprof+0x149/0x180 mm/mempolicy.c:2557 ___kmalloc_large_node+0x10c/0x140 mm/slub.c:5598 __kmalloc_large_node_noprof+0x25/0xc0 mm/slub.c:5629 __do_kmalloc_node mm/slub.c:5645 [inline] __kmalloc_noprof+0x483/0x6f0 mm/slub.c:5669 kmalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:961 [inline] kzalloc_noprof include/linux/slab.h:1094 [inline] nvme_pr_read_keys+0x8f/0x4c0 drivers/nvme/host/pr.c:245 blkdev_pr_read_keys block/ioctl.c:456 [inline] blkdev_common_ioctl+0x1b71/0x29b0 block/ioctl.c:730 blkdev_ioctl+0x299/0x700 block/ioctl.c:786 vfs_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:51 [inline] __do_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:597 [inline] __se_sys_ioctl fs/ioctl.c:583 [inline] __x64_sys_ioctl+0x1bf/0x220 fs/ioctl.c:583 x64_sys_call+0x1280/0x21b0 mnt/fuzznvme_1/fuzznvme/linux-build/v6.19/./arch/x86/include/generated/asm/syscalls_64.h:17 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x71/0x330 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e RIP: 0033:0x7fb893d3108d Code: 28 c3 e8 46 1e 00 00 66 0f 1f 44 00 00 f3 0f 1e fa 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 c7 c1 b8 ff ff ff f7 d8 64 89 01 48 RSP: 002b:00007ffff61f2f38 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000010 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00007ffff61f3138 RCX: 00007fb893d3108d RDX: 0000000020000040 RSI: 00000000c01070ce RDI: 0000000000000003 RBP: 0000000000000001 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 00007ffff61f3138 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000001 R13: 00007ffff61f3128 R14: 00007fb893dae530 R15: 0000000000000001 </TASK>

Technical summary

dbcve analysis

How this class of weakness works · CWE-125

The code reads past the end (or before the start) of a buffer, returning memory that was never meant to be exposed. Attackers use it to leak secrets like keys or to defeat memory-protection defences. Remediation is validating indices and lengths before every read.

General guidance for the out-of-bounds read class — the official description and references above are authoritative for this specific CVE. Want a bespoke review and a reviewed fix? Ask our team →

Affected products & versions

NVD · CPE data

Linux KernelOperating system

Affected:>= 6.5.1, < 6.6.130>= 6.7, < 6.12.77>= 6.13, < 6.18.17>= 6.19, < 6.19.7= 6.5= 7.0

CVSS breakdown

From the vector

Attack vector: Local
Complexity: Low
Privileges: Low
User interaction: None
Scope: Unchanged
Confidentiality: High
Integrity: None
Availability: High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H

Remediation

dbcve · scoped

Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.6.130 / 6.12.77 / 6.18.17 or later

Fixed in 6.6.1306.12.776.18.17

Vendor patch git.kernel.org →

Recommended fix High confidence

Upgrade to kernel >=6.6.130 (for 6.6.x branch), >=6.12.77 (for 6.12.x branch), >=6.18.17 (for 6.18.x branch), or >=6.19.7 (for 6.19.x branch)

Identify the currently running kernel version using `uname -r`
Determine which version branch your kernel is from (e.g., 6.6.x, 6.12.x, 6.18.x, 6.19.x)
Upgrade to the fixed kernel version for your branch: for 6.5.1-6.6.x upgrade to >=6.6.130, for 6.7-6.12.x upgrade to >=6.12.77, for 6.13-6.18.x upgrade to >=6.18.17, for >=6.19 upgrade to >=6.19.7
Reboot the system to load the fixed kernel
Verify the fix is applied by checking the kernel version and confirming the nvme_pr_read_keys function uses kvzalloc

Caveat Kernel upgrades carry standard reboot requirement and potential module compatibility risks; ensure critical kernel modules are available for the new version

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $3,200. Get the upgrade done

Scan for this in your stack

Free · runs locally

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References

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-23244 in production — separate from our analysis above.

Notes0 Guidelines

Know something about CVE-2026-23244?

The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.

The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
A config change or rule that shut the vector down
A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon

No notes yet

Be the first to add a field note for this CVE — a mitigation you’ve verified, a version caveat, or a link to a working fix. Sign in above to contribute.

What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here

Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data

At a glance

A fix existsUpgrade to 6.6.130 / 6.12.77 or later

Severity 7.1 High

Exploit likelihood EPSS, next 30 days 0.1%

Affects: Linux Kernel

Remediation

Need this fixed?

Get a fix

Estimated effortfrom ~18 hrs

ComplexityComplex

Typical engagementfrom $3,200

What a fix involves

We scope it with you and confirm a fixed quote
A specialist builds a reviewed fix
You deploy it to staging first
Optional re-test once it’s live

We specialise in CVE remediation. Send your environment and we’ll scope CVE-2026-23244 and return a fixed quote.

You’ll deal with our team directly and deploy the reviewed fix to staging first — never straight to production.

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

Scan for this in your stack

References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Practitioner notes

No notes yet

Official description

Technical summary

Affected products & versions

CVSS breakdown

Remediation

References