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VulnerabilityPublished Updated

CVE-2026-23403: Linux kernel · apparmor: fix memory leak in verify_header

Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database

0

Not known to be exploited · CVSS 5.5 Medium · fixed in 4.15.0-1200.215~14.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC

CVSS 3.1 base score
5.5Medium
How severe the flaw is on the 0–10 CVSS scale.
EPSS
0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 7% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Patch
Available – fixed in 4.15.0-1200.215~14.04.1, 4.15.0-1191.204~16.04.1, 4.15.0-1200.215~16.04.1 +108
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Exploitation evidence

  1. Disclosed: evidence found.

    CVE published 1 Apr 2026

  2. Detectable: no evidence on record.

    No public nuclei template indexed

  3. Weaponised: no evidence on record.

    No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB

  4. Exploited in the wild: no evidence on record.

    Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation

  5. Observed by OffSeq Mirage: no evidence on record.

    No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

ProductAffectedFixed in
Ubuntu 25.10linuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux@6.17.0-19.19?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-19.19
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-19.19
Ubuntu 25.10linux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws@6.17.0-1009.9?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1009.9
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1009.9
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure@6.17.0-1010.10?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1010.10
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1010.10
Ubuntu 25.10linux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde@6.17.0-1017.17?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • 6.17.0-1003.3 – 6.17.0-1017.17
10 affected builds
Fixed in–
Ubuntu 25.10linux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp@6.17.0-1009.9?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1009.9
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1009.9
Ubuntu 25.10linux-oraclepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-oracle@6.17.0-1009.9?arch=source&distro=questingOther threatsAffected
  • <6.17.0-1009.9
Fixed in
  • 6.17.0-1009.9

Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.

AI-suggested

A patch is available and should be applied to affected Linux kernel versions to resolve the memory leak and related AppArmor issues. The vendor advisory (Ubuntu USN-8152-1) confirms that fixes have been released. Users should update their Linux kernel packages to the fixed versions as provided by their distribution. No additional mitigation steps are indicated beyond applying the official update.

Description

A memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's AppArmor security module was fixed. The issue involved the verify_header function incorrectly resetting a namespace pointer on each call, causing memory leaks and breaking namespace consistency checks. This flaw affected multiple Linux kernel versions and could lead to denial of service or other impacts related to AppArmor profile handling. The vulnerability has been patched.

References

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