CVE-2026-46096

Local memory exhaustion via TPM buffer leak

Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026

Memory leak in the TPM 2.0 session code in affected Linux Kernel versions allows local users to exhaust kernel memory. The tpm2_read_public() function initializes a TPM command buffer but omits tpm_buf_destroy() after a name_size() error and after successful completion, leaking one page on either path. Local low-privileged access is required; repeated calls can consume page allocations and interrupt system availability.

CVSS severity5.5
Medium
EPSS probability0.12%
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 TPM 2.0 session code in affected Linux Kernel versions allows local users to exhaust kernel memory. The tpm2_read_public() function initializes a TPM command buffer but omits tpm_buf_destroy() after a name_size() error and after successful completion, leaking one page on either path. Local low-privileged access is required; repeated calls can consume page allocations and interrupt system availability.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-46096
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

  1. May 27, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. 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.

  1. Affected versionversion=20eda7c74b69fe9e1caf9b930a5c016bf8d755fa <f8775d9d9062da662cc861f9ff7722a65896d4cd
  2. Affected versionversion=6.12.64 <6.13
  3. Affected versionversion=6.18.3 <6.18.27
  4. Affected versionversion=6.19
  5. Affected versionversion=a3b7eb67225c486a2da357c5db3e386f4e64bcde
  6. Affected versionversion=bda1cbf73c6e241267c286427f2ed52b5735d872 <2f434be87e256fd58254f60ddf5d7d58e775ca0b
  7. Affected versionversion=bda1cbf73c6e241267c286427f2ed52b5735d872 <f0f75a3d98b7959a8677b6363e23190f3018636b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=20eda7c74b69fe9e1caf9b930a5c016bf8d755fa <f8775d9d9062da662cc861f9ff7722a65896d4cd; version=6.12.64 <6.13; version=6.18.3 <6.18.27; version=6.19; version=a3b7eb67225c486a2da357c5db3e386f4e64bcde; version=bda1cbf73c6e241267c286427f2ed52b5735d872 <2f434be87e256fd58254f60ddf5d7d58e775ca0b; version=bda1cbf73c6e241267c286427f2ed52b5735d872 <f0f75a3d98b7959a8677b6363e23190f3018636b

Published CVSS scores

3.3SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:L
5.5NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
4.8SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:L/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

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.

Daily unique IPsNo honeypot observations are available for this CVE in the selected window.

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

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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