CVE-2024-26840

Service interruption via unreleased CacheFiles credentials

Published Apr 17, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Memory leak in the Linux kernel CacheFiles subsystem allows local users to exhaust kernel memory by unbinding /dev/cachefiles. The cachefiles_add_cache error branch and cachefiles_daemon_unbind omit put_cred calls for cache_cred, leaving credential objects referenced after failure or unbind. Local access to the CacheFiles control device is required; repeating the affected lifecycle consumes unreclaimed kernel memory and interrupts service when memory is exhausted.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.28%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Memory leak in the Linux kernel CacheFiles subsystem allows local users to exhaust kernel memory by unbinding /dev/cachefiles. The cachefiles_add_cache error branch and cachefiles_daemon_unbind omit put_cred calls for cache_cred, leaving credential objects referenced after failure or unbind. Local access to the CacheFiles control device is required; repeating the affected lifecycle consumes unreclaimed kernel memory and interrupts service when memory is exhausted.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-26840
Published
Apr 17, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Apr 17, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=2.6.30
  2. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <037d5a949b0455540ef9aab34c10ddf54b65d285
  3. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <38e921616320d159336b0ffadb09e9fb4945c7c3
  4. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <43eccc5823732ba6daab2511ed32dfc545a666d8
  5. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <8b218e2f0a27a9f09428b1847b4580640b9d1e58
  6. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <94965be37add0983672e48ecb33cdbda92b62579
  7. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <9cac69912052a4def571fedf1cb9bb4ec590e25a
  8. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <cb5466783793e66272624cf71925ae1d1ba32083
  9. Affected versionversion=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <e21a2f17566cbd64926fb8f16323972f7a064444

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=2.6.30; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <037d5a949b0455540ef9aab34c10ddf54b65d285; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <38e921616320d159336b0ffadb09e9fb4945c7c3; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <43eccc5823732ba6daab2511ed32dfc545a666d8; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <8b218e2f0a27a9f09428b1847b4580640b9d1e58; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <94965be37add0983672e48ecb33cdbda92b62579; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <9cac69912052a4def571fedf1cb9bb4ec590e25a; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <cb5466783793e66272624cf71925ae1d1ba32083; version=9ae326a69004dea8af2dae4fde58de27db700a8d <e21a2f17566cbd64926fb8f16323972f7a064444

Published CVSS scores

5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499Endpoint Denial of Service

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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