Linux: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2026-46201 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions d394669e194936d7ce15284a24a5ae334c4c5b74, 0afa8b1ef582ecf6fb04097fd356f8741e5005ed, eea1e10f8d99c0f04deef707c99705b94bba3b78 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.14% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to d394669e194936d7ce15284a24a5ae334c4c5b74 or 0afa8b1ef582ecf6fb04097fd356f8741e5005ed or eea1e10f8d99c0f04deef707c99705b94bba3b78 or 111ab678471bf1f90d078d5513bb086b70596c3c, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.12.90 or 6.18.32 or 7.0.9, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | dd08ebf6c3525a7ea2186e636df064ea47281987 up to, but not including, d394669e194936d7ce15284a24a5ae334c4c5b74; dd08ebf6c3525a7ea2186e636df064ea47281987 up to, but not including, 0afa8b1ef582ecf6fb04097fd356f8741e5005ed; dd08ebf6c3525a7ea2186e636df064ea47281987 up to, but not including, eea1e10f8d99c0f04deef707c99705b94bba3b78; dd08ebf6c3525a7ea2186e636df064ea47281987 up to, but not including, 111ab678471bf1f90d078d5513bb086b70596c3c; 6.8 | d394669e194936d7ce15284a24a5ae334c4c5b74, 0afa8b1ef582ecf6fb04097fd356f8741e5005ed, eea1e10f8d99c0f04deef707c99705b94bba3b78, 111ab678471bf1f90d078d5513bb086b70596c3c |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.8 up to, but not including, 6.12.90; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.32; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.9; 7.1 | 6.12.90, 6.18.32, 7.0.9 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/xe: Fix dma-buf attachment leak in xe_gem_prime_import() When xe_dma_buf_init_obj() fails, the attachment from dma_buf_dynamic_attach() is not detached. Add dma_buf_detach() before returning the error. Note: we cannot use goto out_err here because xe_dma_buf_init_obj() already frees bo on failure, and out_err would double-free it. (cherry picked from commit a828eb185aac41800df8eae4b60501ccc0dbbe51)
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.
More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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