CVE-2026-23192

A use-after-free vulnerability was found in the Linux kernel's linkwatch subsystem. When a network device is deleted while linkwatch events are pending, the device reference can be dropped prematurely in linkwatch_do_dev(), allowing netdev_run_todo() to free the device while __linkwatch_run_queue() still needs to access it, resulting in use-after-free.

This UAF can be triggered by rapidly toggling carrier state and deleting a network interface (demonstrated with TUN/TAP devices). The race window requires specific timing but is reproducible. While this could theoretically be exploited for code execution, the practical attack surface is limited to local users with network configuration privileges.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.