CVE-2026-72224

Kernel memory leak via unreleased BTT arenas

Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026

Resource leak in the Linux kernel's nvdimm/btt component allows local users to retain kernel memory when BTT initialization fails. The btt_init() error paths after discover_arenas() or create_arenas() omit free_arenas(), retaining allocated arena structures. The local, low-privilege path requires an initialization error; repeated failures consume memory and can interrupt service through resource exhaustion.

CVSS severity5.5
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 the Linux kernel's nvdimm/btt component allows local users to retain kernel memory when BTT initialization fails. The btt_init() error paths after discover_arenas() or create_arenas() omit free_arenas(), retaining allocated arena structures. The local, low-privilege path requires an initialization error; repeated failures consume memory and can interrupt service through resource exhaustion.

The record

CVE
CVE-2026-72224
Published
Aug 15, 2026
Updated
Aug 15, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-772, CWE-401, T1499
Attack vector
local
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=4.2
  2. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <0b63788093ff6ccfffe6e87de9e08aeeb406599c
  3. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <1a6b6442a982d0ca5fb6a1a39b6f6dfd760eda57
  4. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <52a7e7ece79c4b0f406149e19cd2b4b11a6c19e4
  5. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <5804e6a6912b5a1e47c821777d69191d69a3fe64
  6. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <68c967e105d50f885e02b0dbdc9211fd5f84bdcd
  7. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <7e49684d90faa34ff6d5586be658e986d9d475ac
  8. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <9ab5293d9ac3f2c4232220e563d04701f5f44607
  9. Affected versionversion=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <f4ca396bdd60b4e0a665b2589bfc4ddbea9bda2b

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesauthenticated

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=4.2; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <0b63788093ff6ccfffe6e87de9e08aeeb406599c; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <1a6b6442a982d0ca5fb6a1a39b6f6dfd760eda57; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <52a7e7ece79c4b0f406149e19cd2b4b11a6c19e4; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <5804e6a6912b5a1e47c821777d69191d69a3fe64; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <68c967e105d50f885e02b0dbdc9211fd5f84bdcd; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <7e49684d90faa34ff6d5586be658e986d9d475ac; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <9ab5293d9ac3f2c4232220e563d04701f5f44607; version=5212e11fde4d40fa627668b4f2222d20db488f71 <f4ca396bdd60b4e0a665b2589bfc4ddbea9bda2b

Published CVSS scores

5.5Oracle LinuxCVSS: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 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesauthenticated
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-772Missing Release of Resource after Effective Lifetime
CWE-401Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
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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