CVE-2026-46019
Analyzed Analyzed - Analysis Complete
Memory Leak in Linux Kernel Crypto ATM

Publication date: 2026-05-27

Last updated on: 2026-06-16

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: atmel-aes - Fix 3-page memory leak in atmel_aes_buff_cleanup atmel_aes_buff_init() allocates 4 pages using __get_free_pages() with ATMEL_AES_BUFFER_ORDER, but atmel_aes_buff_cleanup() frees only the first page using free_page(), leaking the remaining 3 pages. Use free_pages() with ATMEL_AES_BUFFER_ORDER to fix the memory leak.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-05-27
Last Modified
2026-06-16
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-05-27
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-46019
EUVD
EUVD-2026-32400
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 7 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.86 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.16 (inc) to 6.1.175 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 5.11 (inc) to 5.15.209 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.2 (inc) to 6.6.140 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.27 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.19 (inc) to 7.0.4 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 4.5 (inc) to 5.10.258 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-401 The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's atmel-aes crypto driver. Specifically, the function atmel_aes_buff_init() allocates 4 pages of memory, but the cleanup function atmel_aes_buff_cleanup() only frees one page, causing the other three pages to remain allocated and not freed.

The issue occurs because atmel_aes_buff_cleanup() uses free_page() which frees only a single page, instead of free_pages() which can free multiple pages at once. This leads to a 3-page memory leak.

Impact Analysis

This memory leak can cause the system to consume more memory over time, potentially leading to reduced performance or system instability if the leaked memory accumulates.

In environments where the atmel-aes driver is used heavily, this could result in resource exhaustion, which might require a system reboot or intervention to recover.

Mitigation Strategies

To mitigate this vulnerability, update the Linux kernel to a version where the atmel-aes driver has been fixed to properly free all allocated pages using free_pages() with ATMEL_AES_BUFFER_ORDER instead of only freeing one page.

This will prevent the 3-page memory leak caused by improper cleanup in atmel_aes_buff_cleanup().

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