Local kernel memory exhaustion via leaked file references
Published Mar 9, 2026 · Updated Mar 9, 2026
Resource leak in the Linux Kernel fremovexattr syscall allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through an unreadable name pointer. When strncpy_from_user fails, the error path returns after fdget without calling fdput, permanently pinning a file and related kernel objects. Exploitation requires an unprivileged local user in a multithreaded process and repeated slow-path fdget calls, resulting in denial of service as kernel memory is consumed.
Summary
What happened
Resource leak in the Linux Kernel fremovexattr syscall allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through an unreadable name pointer. When strncpy_from_user fails, the error path returns after fdget without calling fdput, permanently pinning a file and related kernel objects. Exploitation requires an unprivileged local user in a multithreaded process and repeated slow-path fdget calls, resulting in denial of service as kernel memory is consumed.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-14027
- Published
- Mar 9, 2026
- Updated
- Mar 9, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-401, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Mar 9, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Mar 9, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <a71874379ec8c6e788a61d71b3ad014a8d9a5c08
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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