CVE-2026-23160
📋 TL;DR
A memory leak vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's octeon_ep driver where octep_device_setup() fails to clean up mapped resources and allocated memory when octep_ctrl_net_init() fails. This affects systems using the octeon_ep driver, potentially leading to resource exhaustion over time. The vulnerability was discovered through static analysis and code review.
💻 Affected Systems
- Linux kernel with octeon_ep driver
⚠️ Manual Verification Required
This CVE does not have specific version information in our database, so automatic vulnerability detection cannot determine if your system is affected.
Why? The CVE database entry doesn't specify which versions are vulnerable (no version ranges provided by the vendor/NVD).
🔒 Custom verification scripts are available for registered users. Sign up free to download automated test scripts.
- Review the CVE details at NVD
- Check vendor security advisories for your specific version
- Test if the vulnerability is exploitable in your environment
- Consider updating to the latest version as a precaution
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Continuous exploitation could lead to kernel memory exhaustion, causing system instability, denial of service, or kernel panic.
Likely Case
Memory leak gradually consumes kernel resources, potentially leading to performance degradation or system instability over time.
If Mitigated
With proper monitoring and resource limits, impact is limited to potential performance issues rather than complete system failure.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires triggering the specific failure condition in octep_ctrl_net_init() to cause the memory leak. This likely requires kernel module loading privileges or control over the hardware initialization.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Kernel versions with commits 5058d3f8f17202e673f90af1446252322bd0850f, 8016dc5ee19a77678c264f8ba368b1e873fa705b, d753f3c3f9d7a6e6dbb4d3a97b73007d71624551, fdfd28e13c244d7c3345e74f339fd1b67605b694
Vendor Advisory: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5058d3f8f17202e673f90af1446252322bd0850f
Restart Required: No
Instructions:
1. Update Linux kernel to version containing the fix commits. 2. For custom kernels, apply the patch from the git references. 3. Rebuild and install the kernel. 4. Reboot to load the patched kernel.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Disable octeon_ep driver
allPrevent loading of the vulnerable driver module
echo 'blacklist octeon_ep' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
rmmod octeon_ep
Monitor kernel memory usage
allImplement monitoring to detect abnormal memory consumption
watch -n 60 'cat /proc/meminfo | grep -E "Slab|SReclaimable|SUnreclaim"'
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement strict kernel module loading policies to prevent unauthorized driver loading
- Monitor system logs for octeon_ep driver errors and kernel memory allocation failures
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check if octeon_ep driver is loaded: lsmod | grep octeon_ep. Check kernel version: uname -r and compare with patched versions.Check Version:
uname -rVerify Fix Applied:
Verify kernel version includes fix commits. Check git log for the specific commit hashes in kernel source.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Kernel oops messages related to octeon_ep
- Memory allocation failures in kernel logs
- System instability or performance degradation logs
Network Indicators:
- None - this is a local kernel vulnerability
SIEM Query:
source="kernel" AND ("octeon_ep" OR "memory allocation failure" OR "kernel panic")