Vulnerability in Linux

CVE-2026-23220

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ksmbd: fix infinite loop caused by next_smb2_rcv_hdr_off reset in error paths The problem occurs when a signed request fails smb2 signature verification check. In __process_request(), if check_sign_req() returns an error, set_smb2_rsp_status(work, STATUS_ACCESS_DENIED) is called. set_smb2_rsp_status() set work->next_smb2_rcv_hdr_off as zero. By resetting next_smb2_rcv_hdr_off to zero, the pointer to the next command in the chain is lost. Consequently, is_chained_smb2_message() continues to point to the same request header instead of advancing. If the header's NextCommand field is non-zero, the function returns true, causing __handle_ksmbd_work() to repeatedly process the same failed request in an infinite loop. This results in the kernel log being flooded with "bad smb2 signature" messages and high CPU usage. This patch fixes the issue by changing the return value from SERVER_HANDLER_CONTINUE to SERVER_HANDLER_ABORT. This ensures that the processing loop terminates immediately rather than attempting to continue from an invalidated offset.

EPSS: 0.001 (2.0th percentile) — read the EPSS interpretation.

CVSS v3 metric

CVSS v3 base score 5.5 (Medium). Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H.

Affected products

Weakness classification (CWE)

References

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2026-23220?
CVE-2026-23220 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux, classified under Loop with Unreachable Exit Condition (Infinite Loop). CVSS score: 5.5/10. Published 2026-02-18.
How severe is CVE-2026-23220?
Medium severity. CVSS v3 base score is 5.5 out of 10.