Local service interruption via unreleased AF_UNIX socket
Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026
Memory leak in the Linux Kernel AF_UNIX subsystem allows local users to consume kernel memory through repeated socket connections. The unix_stream_connect() error path allocates newsk before prepare_peercred(); when credential preparation fails, unix_release_sock() is never called for that socket. A low-privileged local user who can repeatedly reach this failure path can deplete kernel memory and interrupt service; no data disclosure or modification is reported.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in the Linux Kernel AF_UNIX subsystem allows local users to consume kernel memory through repeated socket connections. The unix_stream_connect() error path allocates newsk before prepare_peercred(); when credential preparation fails, unix_release_sock() is never called for that socket. A low-privileged local user who can repeatedly reach this failure path can deplete kernel memory and interrupt service; no data disclosure or modification is reported.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-45887
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Updated
- May 27, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- May 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 27, 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=6.16
- Affected versionversion=fd0a109a0f6b7524543d17520da92a44a9f5343c <365996a2b14d07caa9e33d367b67ea26c09d89b4
- Affected versionversion=fd0a109a0f6b7524543d17520da92a44a9f5343c <6884028cd7f275f8bcb854a347265cb1fb0e4bea
- Affected versionversion=fd0a109a0f6b7524543d17520da92a44a9f5343c <a5d95d7caba0160fb7b2b8d2bd96d5a1be861d9f
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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
Your stack
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Your stack
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