Memory Leak in Linux Kernel Crypto NX Module

Publication date: 2026-05-27

Last updated on: 2026-06-24

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: crypto: nx - fix bounce buffer leaks in nx842_crypto_{alloc,free}_ctx The bounce buffers are allocated with __get_free_pages() using BOUNCE_BUFFER_ORDER (order 2 = 4 pages), but both the allocation error path and nx842_crypto_free_ctx() release the buffers with free_page(). Use free_pages() with the matching order instead.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

Probability:
Percentile:

Meta Information

Published

2026-05-27

Last Modified

2026-06-24

Generated

2026-07-07

AI Q&A

2026-05-27

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-05

NVD

CVE-2026-46068

EUVD

EUVD-2026-32450

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.88 (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 4.2 (inc) to 6.6.141 (exc)

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-787	The product writes data past the end, or before the beginning, of the intended buffer.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's crypto nx module. It involves improper handling of bounce buffer memory allocation and deallocation. Specifically, bounce buffers are allocated using __get_free_pages() with an order of 2 (which allocates 4 pages), but when freeing these buffers, the code incorrectly uses free_page() instead of free_pages() with the matching order. This mismatch can lead to bounce buffer memory leaks.

Impact Analysis

The impact of this vulnerability is primarily related to memory management within the Linux kernel. Because bounce buffers are not properly freed, this can cause memory leaks, which over time may degrade system performance or stability. In environments with heavy cryptographic operations using the nx module, this could lead to increased memory consumption and potentially system resource exhaustion.

Hi! I’m here to help you understand CVE-2026-46068. Ask me anything about the vulnerability, its impact, or mitigation strategies.

0/70