---
id: CVE-2026-23414
title: 'tls: Purge async_hold in tls_decrypt_async_wait()'
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  tls: Purge async_hold in tls_decrypt_async_wait()

  The async_hold queue pins encrypted input skbs while
  the AEAD engine references their scatterlist data. Once
  tls_decr…
severity: high
cvss: 7.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
cvssSource: cna
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= 9f83fd0c179e0f458e824e417f9d5ad53443f685 <
    ac435be7c7613eb13a5a8ceb5182e10b50c9ce87
  - >-
    Linux >= c61d4368197d65c4809d9271f3b85325a600586a <
    2dcf324855c34e7f934ce978aa19b645a8f3ee71
  - >-
    Linux >= 39dec4ea3daf77f684308576baf483b55ca7f160 <
    6dc11e0bd0a5466bcc76d275c09e5537bd0597dd
  - >-
    Linux >= b8a6ff84abbcbbc445463de58704686011edc8e1 <
    9f557c7eae127b44d2e863917dc986a4b6cb1269
  - >-
    Linux >= b8a6ff84abbcbbc445463de58704686011edc8e1 <
    fd8037e1f18ca5336934d0e0e7e1a4fe097e749d
  - >-
    Linux >= b8a6ff84abbcbbc445463de58704686011edc8e1 <
    84a8335d8300576f1b377ae24abca1d9f197807f
  - Linux 4fc109d0ab196bd943b7451276690fb6bb48c2e0
  - Linux >= 6.1.158 < 6.1.168
  - Linux >= 6.6.114 < 6.6.131
  - Linux >= 6.12.55 < 6.12.80
  - Linux >= 6.17.5 < 6.18
  - Linux 6.18
published: '2026-04-02'
updated: '2026-09-08'
sourceUpdated: '2026-09-08T08:46:02.375Z'
source: CVEORG
sourceUrl: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-23414'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac435be7c7613eb13a5a8ceb5182e10b50c9ce87'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2dcf324855c34e7f934ce978aa19b645a8f3ee71'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6dc11e0bd0a5466bcc76d275c09e5537bd0597dd'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9f557c7eae127b44d2e863917dc986a4b6cb1269'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fd8037e1f18ca5336934d0e0e7e1a4fe097e749d'
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/84a8335d8300576f1b377ae24abca1d9f197807f'
tags:
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00244
epssPercentile: 0.13888
ingestedAt: '2026-09-08T15:33:26.992Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tls: Purge async_hold in tls_decrypt_async_wait()

The async_hold queue pins encrypted input skbs while
the AEAD engine references their scatterlist data. Once
tls_decrypt_async_wait() returns, every AEAD operation
has completed and the engine no longer references those
skbs, so they can be freed unconditionally.

A subsequent patch adds batch async decryption to
tls_sw_read_sock(), introducing a new call site that
must drain pending AEAD operations and release held
skbs. Move __skb_queue_purge(&ctx->async_hold) into
tls_decrypt_async_wait() so the purge is centralized
and every caller -- recvmsg's drain path, the -EBUSY
fallback in tls_do_decryption(), and the new read_sock
batch path -- releases held skbs on synchronization
without each site managing the purge independently.

This fixes a leak when tls_strp_msg_hold() fails part-way through,
after having added some cloned skbs to the async_hold
queue. tls_decrypt_sg() will then call tls_decrypt_async_wait() to
process all pending decrypts, and drop back to synchronous mode, but
tls_sw_recvmsg() only flushes the async_hold queue when one record has
been processed in "fully-async" mode, which may not be the case here.

[pabeni@redhat.com: added leak comment]

## Affected

- `Linux >= 9f83fd0c179e0f458e824e417f9d5ad53443f685 < ac435be7c7613eb13a5a8ceb5182e10b50c9ce87`
- `Linux >= c61d4368197d65c4809d9271f3b85325a600586a < 2dcf324855c34e7f934ce978aa19b645a8f3ee71`
- `Linux >= 39dec4ea3daf77f684308576baf483b55ca7f160 < 6dc11e0bd0a5466bcc76d275c09e5537bd0597dd`
- `Linux >= b8a6ff84abbcbbc445463de58704686011edc8e1 < 9f557c7eae127b44d2e863917dc986a4b6cb1269`
- `Linux >= b8a6ff84abbcbbc445463de58704686011edc8e1 < fd8037e1f18ca5336934d0e0e7e1a4fe097e749d`
- `Linux >= b8a6ff84abbcbbc445463de58704686011edc8e1 < 84a8335d8300576f1b377ae24abca1d9f197807f`
- `Linux 4fc109d0ab196bd943b7451276690fb6bb48c2e0`
- `Linux >= 6.1.158 < 6.1.168`
- `Linux >= 6.6.114 < 6.6.131`
- `Linux >= 6.12.55 < 6.12.80`
- `Linux >= 6.17.5 < 6.18`
- `Linux 6.18`

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.