CVE-2026-53261

Kernel memory exhaustion via leaked devlink relation

Published Jun 25, 2026 · Updated Jun 25, 2026

Resource leak in Linux Kernel allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through failed devlink SF child probe paths. In net/devlink/core.c, devlink_free() omits devlink_rel_put() when an unregistered child is freed, leaving devlink->rel referenced after a probe error. Reachability requires an SF child to receive a nested parent relation before registration and then encounter a later probe failure; the documented consequence is availability loss, not code execution or data access.

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

What happened

Resource leak in Linux Kernel allows local users to exhaust kernel memory through failed devlink SF child probe paths. In net/devlink/core.c, devlink_free() omits devlink_rel_put() when an unregistered child is freed, leaving devlink->rel referenced after a probe error. Reachability requires an SF child to receive a nested parent relation before registration and then encounter a later probe failure; the documented consequence is availability loss, not code execution or data access.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-53261
Published
Jun 25, 2026
Updated
Jun 25, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux Kernel
Classifications
CWE-401, T1499.001
Attack vector
local
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jun 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Jun 25, 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=6.7
  2. Affected versionversion=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <11324d52b0c63f4f202b35793c6507a575e9a689
  3. Affected versionversion=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <3522b21fd7e1863d0734537737bd59f1b90d0190
  4. Affected versionversion=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <927f96861f939c0b517d13ed27bf4fabbfc1cfb3
  5. Affected versionversion=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <a9137286884703113b1c9e6403bd6d7d97b14754

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linux Kernelversion=6.7; version=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <11324d52b0c63f4f202b35793c6507a575e9a689; version=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <3522b21fd7e1863d0734537737bd59f1b90d0190; version=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <927f96861f939c0b517d13ed27bf4fabbfc1cfb3; version=c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8 <a9137286884703113b1c9e6403bd6d7d97b14754

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

CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
T1499.001OS Exhaustion Flood

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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