Remote service interruption via session reference leak
Published Jan 23, 2026 · Updated Jan 23, 2026
A reference-count leak in the Linux kernel ksmbd server allows remote attackers to exhaust memory and interrupt SMB service via requests. The ksmbd_session_lookup_all function returns NULL for a session outside SMB2_SESSION_VALID without releasing the reference acquired by lookup. Exposure requires a running, network-reachable ksmbd SMB server; repeated invalid-session requests consume kernel memory until service interruption.
Summary
What happened
A reference-count leak in the Linux kernel ksmbd server allows remote attackers to exhaust memory and interrupt SMB service via requests. The ksmbd_session_lookup_all function returns NULL for a session outside SMB2_SESSION_VALID without releasing the reference acquired by lookup. Exposure requires a running, network-reachable ksmbd SMB server; repeated invalid-session requests consume kernel memory until service interruption.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-71150
- Published
- Jan 23, 2026
- Updated
- Jan 23, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jan 23, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jan 23, 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=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <02e06785e85b4bd86ef3d23b7c8d87acc76773d5
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <0fb87b28cafae71e9c8248432cc3a6a1fd759efc
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <8cabcb4dd3dc85dd83a37d26efcc59a66a4074d7
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <cafb57f7bdd57abba87725eb4e82bbdca4959644
- Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <e54fb2a4772545701766cba08aab20de5eace8cd
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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