Linux: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2026-53132 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.1 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an unauthenticated attacker, without any action from a user. The record lists versions 1eca304f97a34ed5e921e1f0e06c8b241f25bf12, 9bdc637fde66b63d6cad0caacd034888bb7bf5f5, 100d5b2ffdc6468b9e48532641f29e83efdcb63c 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 1eca304f97a34ed5e921e1f0e06c8b241f25bf12 or 9bdc637fde66b63d6cad0caacd034888bb7bf5f5 or 100d5b2ffdc6468b9e48532641f29e83efdcb63c or 059b7dbd20a6f0c539a45ddff1573cb8946685b5, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.2 or 6.12.94 or 6.18.36 or 7.0.13, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 077706165717686a2a6a71405fef036cd5b37ae0 up to, but not including, 1eca304f97a34ed5e921e1f0e06c8b241f25bf12; 077706165717686a2a6a71405fef036cd5b37ae0 up to, but not including, 9bdc637fde66b63d6cad0caacd034888bb7bf5f5; 077706165717686a2a6a71405fef036cd5b37ae0 up to, but not including, 100d5b2ffdc6468b9e48532641f29e83efdcb63c; 077706165717686a2a6a71405fef036cd5b37ae0 up to, but not including, 059b7dbd20a6f0c539a45ddff1573cb8946685b5; 5852a2b573f7a3a29df46296e56aa3491e589cdf; 6.1.63 up to, but not including, 6.2; 6.3 | 1eca304f97a34ed5e921e1f0e06c8b241f25bf12, 9bdc637fde66b63d6cad0caacd034888bb7bf5f5, 100d5b2ffdc6468b9e48532641f29e83efdcb63c, 059b7dbd20a6f0c539a45ddff1573cb8946685b5, 6.2 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.1.63 up to, but not including, 6.2; 6.3.1 up to, but not including, 6.12.94; 6.13 up to, but not including, 6.18.36; 6.19 up to, but not including, 7.0.13; 6.3; 7.1 | 6.2, 6.12.94, 6.18.36, 7.0.13 |
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
- NoneNo account or login is needed.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- ChangedThe attack can reach beyond the vulnerable component into other systems.
- Confidentiality
- NoneNo data is disclosed.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H. Scored by CNA.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/virtio: fix potential unbounded skb queue virtio_transport_inc_rx_pkt() checks vvs->rx_bytes + len > vvs->buf_alloc. virtio_transport_recv_enqueue() skips coalescing for packets with VIRTIO_VSOCK_SEQ_EOM. If fed with packets with len == 0 and VIRTIO_VSOCK_SEQ_EOM, a very large number of packets can be queued because vvs->rx_bytes stays at 0. Fix this by estimating the skb metadata size: (Number of skbs in the queue) * SKB_TRUESIZE(0)
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: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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