Remote memory exhaustion via unreleased partial messages
Published May 27, 2026 · Updated May 27, 2026
Memory leak in the Linux Kernel stream parser allows remote attackers to exhaust kernel memory via incomplete framed TCP messages. The strp_abort_strp() abort path retains strp->skb_head instead of freeing the partially assembled socket buffer after message assembly times out. No authentication or user interaction is required, but reachability requires a network service using an affected strparser-based framed protocol; repetition can cause system-wide OOM and interrupt service.
Summary
What happened
Memory leak in the Linux Kernel stream parser allows remote attackers to exhaust kernel memory via incomplete framed TCP messages. The strp_abort_strp() abort path retains strp->skb_head instead of freeing the partially assembled socket buffer after message assembly times out. No authentication or user interaction is required, but reachability requires a network service using an affected strparser-based framed protocol; repetition can cause system-wide OOM and interrupt service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-46102
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Updated
- May 27, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-401, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- network
- Privileges
- unauthenticated
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=43a0c6751a322847cb6fa0ab8cbf77a1d08bfc0a <19ca9475f18f991735f98a22e735c43e95e6298d
- Affected versionversion=43a0c6751a322847cb6fa0ab8cbf77a1d08bfc0a <5327dad2ffe9c1b49881dd6d51ff3c6893847568
- Affected versionversion=43a0c6751a322847cb6fa0ab8cbf77a1d08bfc0a <56082f442023db9be1a5a29d4ee361de4017c0b7
- Affected versionversion=43a0c6751a322847cb6fa0ab8cbf77a1d08bfc0a <e9ae00490d474757c0f9c65073de83e6bb1e5a00
- Affected versionversion=43a0c6751a322847cb6fa0ab8cbf77a1d08bfc0a <fe72340daaf1af588be88056faf98965f39e6032
- Affected versionversion=4.9
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
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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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