Memory Leak in Linux Kernel devlink Subsystem

Publication date: 2026-06-25

Last updated on: 2026-07-08

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: devlink: Release nested relation on devlink free devlink relation state is normally released from devl_unregister(), which calls devlink_rel_put(). This misses devlink instances that get a nested relation before registration and then fail probe before devl_register() is reached. That flow can happen for SFs. The child devlink gets linked to its parent before registration, then a later probe error calls devlink_free() directly. Since the instance was never registered, devl_unregister() is not called and devlink->rel is leaked. Release any pending relation from devlink_free() as well. The registered path is unchanged because devl_unregister() already clears devlink->rel before devlink_free() runs.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-06-25

Last Modified

2026-07-08

Generated

2026-07-15

AI Q&A

2026-06-25

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-14

NVD

CVE-2026-53261

EUVD

EUVD-2026-39212

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	7.1
linux	linux_kernel	7.1
linux	linux_kernel	7.1
linux	linux_kernel	7.1
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.36 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.94 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	From 6.19 (inc) to 7.0.13 (exc)
linux	linux_kernel	7.1
linux	linux_kernel	7.1

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

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.

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's devlink component. It involves the improper release of nested relations during the devlink free process. Normally, devlink relations are released during the unregister process, but in certain cases where a devlink instance gets a nested relation before registration and then fails to probe, the unregister function is never called. This causes the nested relation to be leaked because the release step is missed. The fix ensures that any pending nested relations are released during the devlink free process as well.

Impact Analysis

The vulnerability can lead to resource leaks in the Linux kernel's devlink subsystem. Specifically, nested relations that are not properly released may accumulate, potentially causing memory leaks or other resource management issues. This could degrade system stability or performance over time, especially in environments where devlink instances frequently fail to register properly.

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