CVE-2026-23240: tls: Fix race condition in tls_sw_cancel_work_tx()
Vulnerability summary
CVE-2026-23240 is a critical (CVSS 9.8) vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.52% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 44.2% of scored vulnerabilities.
Severe, CVSS 9.8 (CVE.org); no exploitation reported by the 5 checked sources; EPSS 1% (FIRST, 03-11-2026)
Source freshness unavailable
How is this decided?Advisory lineage
Upstream 0 · Downstream 148 · Related 148Showing 100 of 148.
Timeline
- 10-03-2026PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
- 19-10-2026Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.
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 metrics
5 scores · 4 sources · 2 versions- OSV · UbuntuEcosystem advisory · calculated9.8CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- OSV · DebianEcosystem advisory · calculated9.8CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- NVDNIST9.8CriticalCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
EPSS trend
Probability
0.52%
Chance of exploitation in the next 30 days
Percentile
44%
Versus all other CVEs
30-day change
Increase +0.03 pp
From 0.49% on 04-10-2026
Known exploited
Compare KEV catalogsNot in the CISA KEV catalog.
Not in the ENISA CNW catalog.
Not in the CIRCL catalog.
Public exploits
0 foundNo public exploits indexed.
Weaknesses
CWE · root causeAffected systems
Known conditions: network-reachable, no authentication, no user interaction (CVSS vector). Other conditions: not stated in public data.
Ubuntu155 products
- linuxAll versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-allwinner-5.19All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-awsAll versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws-5.0All versions (No fix recorded)
- linux-aws-5.11All versions (No fix recorded)
Linux2 products
- linux≥ f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4, < a5de36d6cee74a92c1a21b260bc507e64bc451de | ≥ f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4, < 854cd32bc74fe573353095e90958490e4e4d641b | ≥ f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4, < 17153f154f80be2b47ebf52840f2d8f724eb2f3b | ≥ f87e62d45e51b12d48d2cb46b5cde8f83b866bc4, < 7bb09315f93dce6acc54bf59e5a95ba7365c2be4 | 5.3
- linux_kernel≥ 5.3.1, < 6.12.75 | ≥ 6.13, < 6.18.16 | ≥ 6.19, < 6.19.6 | 5.3 | 5.3:rc4 | 5.3:rc5 | 5.3:rc6 | 5.3:rc7 | 5.3:rc8 | 7.0:rc1
Debian1 product
- linuxAll versions (No fix recorded) | < 6.12.85-1 | < 6.19.6-1
3 vendors · 158 products