Critical severity · published Mar 10, 2026
CVE-2026-23240
tls: Fix race condition in tls_sw_cancel_work_tx()
9.8
CVSS
0.5%
EPSS
No
On KEV
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tls: Fix race condition in tls_sw_cancel_work_tx()
This issue was discovered during a code audit.
After cancel_delayed_work_sync() is called from tls_sk_proto_close(),
tx_work_handler() can still be scheduled from paths such as the
Delayed ACK handler or ksoftirqd.
As a result, the tx_work_handler() worker may dereference a freed
TLS object.
The following is a simple race scenario:
cpu0 cpu1
tls_sk_proto_close()
tls_sw_cancel_work_tx()
tls_write_space()
tls_sw_write_space()
if (!test_and_set_bit(BIT_TX_SCHEDULED, &tx_ctx->tx_bitmask))
set_bit(BIT_TX_SCHEDULED, &ctx->tx_bitmask);
cancel_delayed_work_sync(&ctx->tx_work.work);
schedule_delayed_work(&tx_ctx->tx_work.work, 0);
To prevent this race condition, cancel_delayed_work_sync() is
replaced with disable_delayed_work_sync().
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Attack vector
Network
Complexity
Low
Privileges
None
User interaction
None
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High
Scope
Unchanged
Exploitation
Is it being used?
Exploit prediction (EPSS)0.5% · higher than 44% of CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo evidence yet
CISA KEVNot listed
Ransomware campaign useNot known
Affected products
Which versions
KE
Kernel · Linux
5.3.1 before 6.12.75; 6.13 before 6.18.16; 6.19 before 6.19.6; 5.3; 5.3; 5.3; +4 more · source: NVD
LI
Linux · Linux
f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4 before a5de36d6cee74a92c1a21b260bc507e64bc451de; f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4 before 854cd32bc74fe573353095e90958490e4e4d641b; f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4 before 17153f154f80be2b47ebf52840f2d8f724eb2f3b; f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4 before 7bb09315f93dce6acc54bf59e5a95ba7365c2be4; 5.3 · source: vendor
References
NVD
https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23240
CVE.org
https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23240
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/17153f154f80be2b47ebf52840f2d8f724eb2f3b
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7bb09315f93dce6acc54bf59e5a95ba7365c2be4
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/854cd32bc74fe573353095e90958490e4e4d641b
Patch
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5de36d6cee74a92c1a21b260bc507e64bc451de
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