Local denial of service via leaked clock context
Published Apr 1, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
Memory leak in the Linux kernel 6.7 through 6.8.2 allows local users to consume kernel memory by opening a failing POSIX clock. posix_clock_open() allocates pccontext before calling clk->ops.open(), but its error path returns without releasing that allocation. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access and a clock whose open callback fails; repeated triggering can exhaust memory and interrupt the host.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in the Linux kernel 6.7 through 6.8.2 allows local users to consume kernel memory by opening a failing POSIX clock. posix_clock_open() allocates pccontext before calling clk->ops.open(), but its error path returns without releasing that allocation. Exploitation requires low-privilege local access and a clock whose open callback fails; repeated triggering can exhaust memory and interrupt the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-26655
- Published
- Apr 1, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-401
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 1, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=221e4d1e29bb442ac4c47bc8ee095abf009ee8f3 <ea2d9bfd422e92fd197f6a0b1fe7d81413b871e0
- Affected versionversion=60c6946675fc06dd2fd2b7a4b6fd1c1f046f1056 <0200dd7ed2335469955d7e69cc1a6fa7df1f3847
- Affected versionversion=60c6946675fc06dd2fd2b7a4b6fd1c1f046f1056 <5b4cdd9c5676559b8a7c944ac5269b914b8c0bb8
- Affected versionversion=60c6946675fc06dd2fd2b7a4b6fd1c1f046f1056 <a88649b49523e8cbe95254440d803e38c19d2341
- Affected versionversion=63cb05f600940a3b4824509e7e0e909f040c82ee <f845cfa1a5ae697782bfcb843c9d06d3bc0cbbb6
- Affected versionversion=6.7
- Affected versionversion=72ba2204a2a71b6f25873f20eb9329e1e7a01d03 <375abf52353ca5e1a2e5f763629a870f91d0c38a
- Affected versionversion=a006fc4485159dc9bc3c4156f433f62b9c2b709c <62a5adf57b56ee94075c889abea518b9dc66895d
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
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