CVE-2026-43106
Reference Leak in Linux Kernel cachefiles
Publication date: 2026-05-06
Last updated on: 2026-05-11
Assigner: kernel.org
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel | 7.0 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 7.0 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 7.0 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 7.0 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 7.0 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 7.0 |
| linux | linux_kernel | 7.0 |
| linux | linux_kernel | From 6.19 (inc) to 6.19.14 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-UNKNOWN |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability is related to the Linux kernel's cachefiles subsystem. It involves an incorrect reference count handling of a directory entry (dentry) in the function cachefiles_cull(). A patch changed the function cachefiles_bury_object() to expect two references to the 'rep' dentry, and most callers were updated accordingly to provide the correct number of references. However, one call within cachefiles_cull() was not updated properly and still passed the dentry with only one reference, causing a reference to be lost. The fix requires cachefiles_cull() to take an extra reference before calling cachefiles_bury_object(), which will then drop it as expected.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
This vulnerability involves an incorrect dentry reference count in the Linux kernel's cachefiles subsystem. Specifically, a reference is lost due to improper handling of dentry references in the cachefiles_cull() function. This could potentially lead to resource management issues within the kernel, such as use-after-free or memory corruption, which might affect system stability or security.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
The vulnerability is related to an incorrect dentry reference count in the Linux kernel's cachefiles subsystem. To mitigate this vulnerability, you should update your Linux kernel to a version that includes the patch fixing the cachefiles_cull() function to properly handle dentry references.
Specifically, ensure that your kernel version includes the fix where cachefiles_cull() takes an extra reference before calling cachefiles_bury_object(), as described in the patch.