Kernel resource leak via IPNET syscall cleanup failure
Published Sep 28, 2026 · Updated Sep 28, 2026
Resource leak in Wind River VxWorks 7 before 26.09 allows local users to retain kernel memory and file descriptors via crafted system call arguments. The IPNET subsystem fails to release those resources when specific arguments cause the calling application to terminate. Triggering requires code execution on the VxWorks target; the supplied advisory does not establish a network-only trigger or a resulting system crash.
Summary
What happened
Resource leak in Wind River VxWorks 7 before 26.09 allows local users to retain kernel memory and file descriptors via crafted system call arguments. The IPNET subsystem fails to release those resources when specific arguments cause the calling application to terminate. Triggering requires code execution on the VxWorks target; the supplied advisory does not establish a network-only trigger or a resulting system crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-97686
- Published
- Sep 28, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 28, 2026
- Vendor
- Wind River
- Product
- VxWorks
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 28, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 28, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=VxWorks 7
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
No CVSS assessment is available in this record.
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.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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