Local denial of service via interface-reference leak
Published Aug 15, 2026 · Updated Aug 15, 2026
Reference-counting flaw in Linux kernel batman-adv allows local users to exhaust memory by processing fragmented network packets. In fragmentation.c, the failed packet-linearization path frees the packet but does not release the acquired primary_if reference, leaking it on each failure. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and active batman-adv fragmentation; repeated failures can exhaust resources and interrupt service.
Summary
What happened
Reference-counting flaw in Linux kernel batman-adv allows local users to exhaust memory by processing fragmented network packets. In fragmentation.c, the failed packet-linearization path frees the packet but does not release the acquired primary_if reference, leaking it on each failure. Exploitation requires low-privileged local access and active batman-adv fragmentation; repeated failures can exhaust resources and interrupt service.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-72228
- Published
- Aug 15, 2026
- Updated
- Aug 15, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-911, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 15, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 15, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
Compare your product and version with the public record. A matching version still requires validation against your environment.
Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=3915341a935f3397f65a01580dc3bfc4cdf53d14
- Affected versionversion=4.14.280 <4.15
- Affected versionversion=4.19.244 <4.20
- Affected versionversion=5.10.117 <5.10.261
- Affected versionversion=5.15.41 <5.15.212
- Affected versionversion=5.17.9 <5.18
- Affected versionversion=5.18
- Affected versionversion=5.4.195 <5.5
- Affected versionversion=5853618b022b8ed287a278540303e1b283d6f247
- Affected versionversion=5ed837a7e05bcba72bdcd86b12547ea5b796cc01
- Affected versionversion=8f37aad74f46dd5d8b95fac17804b75f77931fa9 <c1b28432fd6345e0d2308f39c507ed5750c265d2
- Affected versionversion=a063f2fba3fa633a599253b62561051ac185fa99 <353d2c1d5492e53ae34f490a84494124dc3d3531
- Affected versionversion=a063f2fba3fa633a599253b62561051ac185fa99 <4f3bf293f7662500142234ae6f23725953690bc9
- Affected versionversion=a063f2fba3fa633a599253b62561051ac185fa99 <777a88256d6f70672116e53400659cc417e1feaa
- Affected versionversion=a063f2fba3fa633a599253b62561051ac185fa99 <a90f4fff9025371bce5371daa610af957de8dd6a
- Affected versionversion=a063f2fba3fa633a599253b62561051ac185fa99 <d2148aeee93197ccf821114489775132f28eebf5
- Affected versionversion=a063f2fba3fa633a599253b62561051ac185fa99 <db3c700826e8126fbdaa83468a9c4ee4ee65319f
- Affected versionversion=a6a73781b460c4fe2cf2c40400ac91dfddb353fa <e59b1960f71521ce4eb4397c4e82f5285601ab57
- Affected versionversion=bea410635595f8efbec90c948da04c3613ef87ea
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
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.
Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.
Technologies
Your stack
See the directory against your own environment.
Your stack
Check the software in your environment
Book a demo to see how Hinoki identifies affected software and validates exploitability in your environment.
Book a demo