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CVE Record

CVE-2026-23332: cpufreq: intel_pstate: Fix crash during turbo disable

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: cpufreq: intel_pstate: Fix crash during turbo disable When the system is booted with kernel command line argument "nosmt" or "maxcpus" to limit the number of CPUs, disabling turbo via: echo 1 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/intel_pstate/no_turbo results in a crash: PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP PTI ... RIP: 0010:store_no_turbo+0x100/0x1f0 ... This occurs because for_each_possible_cpu() returns CPUs even if they are not online. For those CPUs, all_cpu_data[] will be NULL. Since commit 973207ae3d7c ("cpufreq: intel_pstate: Rearrange max frequency updates handling code"), all_cpu_data[] is dereferenced even for CPUs which are not online, causing the NULL pointer dereference. To fix that, pass CPU number to intel_pstate_update_max_freq() and use all_cpu_data[] for those CPUs for which there is a valid cpufreq policy.

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysismoderate

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

CVE-2026-23332 is a Linux kernel crash bug in Intel P-state CPU frequency handling. On systems booted with CPU-limiting options, disabling turbo can trigger a kernel NULL pointer dereference and crash. This is primarily an availability risk for specific Linux hosts, not evidence of remote code execution.

Executive priority

Prioritize patching for production Linux hosts where uptime matters and CPU/power settings are actively managed. Treat as moderate urgency unless affected systems are safety-critical, high-availability, or frequently reconfigured.

Technical view

The bug is in cpufreq intel_pstate. After commit 973207ae3d7c, turbo-disable handling may dereference all_cpu_data[] for possible but offline CPUs when nosmt or maxcpus limits active CPUs. Kernel stable commits change max-frequency update handling to use valid cpufreq policy data.

Likely exposure

Linux systems using intel_pstate on affected kernel versions, especially hosts booted with nosmt or maxcpus and where turbo state may be changed. Exposure is narrower than a general Linux kernel flaw and appears local/administrative in nature.

Exploitation context

The provided sources describe a crash condition, not active exploitation. KEV is false. Triggering requires the specific CPU topology state and a turbo-disable operation through kernel CPU frequency controls, which normally implies privileged local access or trusted automation.

Researcher notes

The CVE description provides root cause and fix direction but no CVSS, CWE, or exploit evidence. Affected version metadata is limited and should be reconciled with downstream distribution kernels, which may backport the fix without changing major version numbers.

Mitigation direction

  • Update to a Linux kernel containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Check your Linux distribution advisories for backported patches.
  • Avoid changing intel_pstate turbo settings on CPU-limited boots until patched.
  • Review automation that manages CPU turbo or power settings.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux kernel versions against vendor advisories and referenced stable commits.
  • Identify hosts using intel_pstate with nosmt or maxcpus boot parameters.
  • Check whether management tools modify turbo settings.
  • Do not reproduce the crash on production systems.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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CVE-2026-23332 mapping review

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinux973207ae3d7c3c92df4a382df5d7bd695deaa904, 973207ae3d7c3c92df4a382df5d7bd695deaa904, 973207ae3d7c3c92df4a382df5d7bd695deaa904unaffected
LinuxLinux6.16, 0, 6.18.17, 6.19.7, 7.0affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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