Kernel resource exhaustion via SMC reference leak
Published May 30, 2024 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
Resource leak in Linux kernel 5.16 through 6.9-rc7 allows local users to exhaust kernel resources through SMC route lookups. The smc_ib_find_route() path returns after copying neighbour data without releasing the neighbour reference or putting the resolved IPv4 route. Repeated SMC route resolution by a low-privileged local user retains both objects until resources are exhausted; no specific hang, crash, or reboot mode has been published.
Summary
What happened
Resource leak in Linux kernel 5.16 through 6.9-rc7 allows local users to exhaust kernel resources through SMC route lookups. The smc_ib_find_route() path returns after copying neighbour data without releasing the neighbour reference or putting the resolved IPv4 route. Repeated SMC route resolution by a low-privileged local user retains both objects until resources are exhausted; no specific hang, crash, or reboot mode has been published.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-36945
- Published
- May 30, 2024
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-401, T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 30, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 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.
- Affected versionversion=5.16
- Affected versionversion=e5c4744cfb598f98672f8d21d59ef2c1fa9c9b5f <2ddc0dd7fec86ee53b8928a5cca5fbddd4fc7c06
- Affected versionversion=e5c4744cfb598f98672f8d21d59ef2c1fa9c9b5f <5df93c029a907b0ff5a4eeadd77ba06ff0a277d2
- Affected versionversion=e5c4744cfb598f98672f8d21d59ef2c1fa9c9b5f <d5a466ab6e78d6f2e0f64435f1e17246c8e941ff
- Affected versionversion=e5c4744cfb598f98672f8d21d59ef2c1fa9c9b5f <da91e447d06dc649fcf46e59122e7bf8f0b2e0db
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
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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