CVE-2025-71223

Local service interruption via ksmbd reference leak

Published Feb 14, 2026 · Updated Feb 14, 2026

Reference-count leakage in the Linux Kernel ksmbd SMB server allows local users to interrupt service by exhausting kernel resources. In smb2_open() in fs/smb/server/smb2pdu.c, the ksmbd_vfs_getattr() error path exits without releasing its ksmbd_file reference. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and an active ksmbd server; repeated failures consume kernel resources without exposing or modifying data.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.13%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Reference-count leakage in the Linux Kernel ksmbd SMB server allows local users to interrupt service by exhausting kernel resources. In smb2_open() in fs/smb/server/smb2pdu.c, the ksmbd_vfs_getattr() error path exits without releasing its ksmbd_file reference. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and an active ksmbd server; repeated failures consume kernel resources without exposing or modifying data.

The record

CVE
CVE-2025-71223
Published
Feb 14, 2026
Updated
Feb 14, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Feb 14, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Feb 14, 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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  1. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2456fde2b137703328f1695f60c68fe488d17e36
  2. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <39ca11ff158c98fb092176f06047628c54bcf7a1
  3. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4665e52bde3b1f8f442895ce7d88fa62a43e48c4
  4. Affected versionversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f416c556997aa56ec4384c6b6efd6a0e6ac70aa7

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <2456fde2b137703328f1695f60c68fe488d17e36; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <39ca11ff158c98fb092176f06047628c54bcf7a1; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <4665e52bde3b1f8f442895ce7d88fa62a43e48c4; version=1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 <f416c556997aa56ec4384c6b6efd6a0e6ac70aa7

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 9, 2026Sep 15, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 15, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Application or System Exploitation

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

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Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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