CVE-2026-72218Network attack vector

Service exhaustion via leaked lockd file references

Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Resource leak in Linux kernel lockd allows remote authenticated users to exhaust file references through repeated failed cached opens. The cached-file path in nlm_lookup_file() increments file->f_count and assigns *result after nlm_do_fopen() fails, but its wrappers return without propagating the pointer, so nlm_release_file() never runs. Repeated requests keep hashed nlm_file records referenced and prevent nlm_traverse_files() from reaping them, consuming kernel resources without a reported confidentiality or integrity effect.

CVSS severity5.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
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 lockd allows remote authenticated users to exhaust file references through repeated failed cached opens. The cached-file path in nlm_lookup_file() increments file->f_count and assigns *result after nlm_do_fopen() fails, but its wrappers return without propagating the pointer, so nlm_release_file() never runs. Repeated requests keep hashed nlm_file records referenced and prevent nlm_traverse_files() from reaping them, consuming kernel resources without a reported confidentiality or integrity effect.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-72218
Published
Aug 15, 2026
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
T1499.004
Attack vector
network
Privileges
authenticated

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. Aug 15, 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=5.10.220 <5.10.261
  2. Affected versionversion=5.15
  3. Affected versionversion=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <3a5c55a19cad62f2973be25fe96a1a9e7f618e8a
  4. Affected versionversion=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <46d59ff421824b6483549d87f14efffbbbd1f6cb
  5. Affected versionversion=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <70a38f87bed7f0694fd07988b47b2db1e10d8df3
  6. Affected versionversion=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <7ce4c23e783e766507b2cef27bbf97e9ca944f1a
  7. Affected versionversion=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <84008bf1860e0ef8059a7583a1163f36b704d08a
  8. Affected versionversion=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <cb3420c047957e565101585bb4f15e1a6e3de6b0
  9. Affected versionversion=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <fe3b45b56b6c3d4b6b341de27fa291005287a21c
  10. Affected versionversion=e580323ac0b51ad10ec2e181d1f777479b7983e7 <6cd84cefd8b73e85b9eda17b319bd40a670f3a38

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectornetwork
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.10.220 <5.10.261; version=5.15; version=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <3a5c55a19cad62f2973be25fe96a1a9e7f618e8a; version=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <46d59ff421824b6483549d87f14efffbbbd1f6cb; version=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <70a38f87bed7f0694fd07988b47b2db1e10d8df3; version=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <7ce4c23e783e766507b2cef27bbf97e9ca944f1a; version=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <84008bf1860e0ef8059a7583a1163f36b704d08a; version=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <cb3420c047957e565101585bb4f15e1a6e3de6b0; version=7f024fcd5c97dc70bb9121c80407cf3cf9be7159 <fe3b45b56b6c3d4b6b341de27fa291005287a21c; version=e580323ac0b51ad10ec2e181d1f777479b7983e7 <6cd84cefd8b73e85b9eda17b319bd40a670f3a38

Published CVSS scores

5.3Amazon LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
7.0Oracle LinuxCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectornetwork
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

T1499.004Endpoint Denial of Service: Application or System Exploitation

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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