Linux: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2026-53087 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.5 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 150d06aae1839a6564ab200ef0e7291c3528bbb0, 52b9f80993698138b90e5ca3a72550a2501f2a96, 3c3abbcfa05bad17965498ff7cc94c2418fa94b3 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 0.68% chance of exploitation within 30 days, higher than 53% of scored CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to 150d06aae1839a6564ab200ef0e7291c3528bbb0 or 52b9f80993698138b90e5ca3a72550a2501f2a96 or 3c3abbcfa05bad17965498ff7cc94c2418fa94b3 or 25ff3a3e47ea635ec08dc93e84dd2bfe15abfebb, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.18.33 or 7.0.10, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Until you can update, restrict network access to the affected service so it is not reachable from untrusted networks.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6a84791b63044cdee3ab55eb350e6352b751f584 up to, but not including, 150d06aae1839a6564ab200ef0e7291c3528bbb0; 991cd78f95f2a1d6097669afaff66aeeba35f5fd up to, but not including, 52b9f80993698138b90e5ca3a72550a2501f2a96; 3877efc13053408f4cf2e821006d6ddd1929200f up to, but not including, 3c3abbcfa05bad17965498ff7cc94c2418fa94b3; f1bacae8b655163dcbc3c54b9e714ef1a8986d7b up to, but not including, 25ff3a3e47ea635ec08dc93e84dd2bfe15abfebb; f1bacae8b655163dcbc3c54b9e714ef1a8986d7b up to, but not including, ac4a29c331ecb5b10240c44247a8e010c95bc15b; f1bacae8b655163dcbc3c54b9e714ef1a8986d7b up to, but not including, 3f3168300efb839028328d720ab3962f91d6a0d0; 6.15 | 150d06aae1839a6564ab200ef0e7291c3528bbb0, 52b9f80993698138b90e5ca3a72550a2501f2a96, 3c3abbcfa05bad17965498ff7cc94c2418fa94b3, 25ff3a3e47ea635ec08dc93e84dd2bfe15abfebb, ac4a29c331ecb5b10240c44247a8e010c95bc15b, 3f3168300efb839028328d720ab3962f91d6a0d0 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.15 up to, but not including, 6.18.33; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.10 | 6.18.33, 7.0.10 |
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
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: bcmgenet: fix leaking free_bds While reclaiming the tx queue we fast forward the write pointer to drop any data in flight. These dropped frames are not added back to the pool of free bds. We also need to tell the netdev that we are dropping said data.
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.
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/150d06aae1839a6564ab200ef0e7291c3528bbb0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/25ff3a3e47ea635ec08dc93e84dd2bfe15abfebb
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c3abbcfa05bad17965498ff7cc94c2418fa94b3
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3f3168300efb839028328d720ab3962f91d6a0d0
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/52b9f80993698138b90e5ca3a72550a2501f2a96
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac4a29c331ecb5b10240c44247a8e010c95bc15b
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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