CVE-2026-53355
Received Received - Intake

Kernel Memory Leak in Linux RDS IB Connection Setup

Publication date: 2026-07-01

Last updated on: 2026-07-01

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: rds: clear i_sends on setup unwind The RDS IB connection teardown path is written so it can run during partial startup and on repeated shutdown attempts. It uses NULL pointers to distinguish resources that are still owned from resources that have already been released. When rds_ib_setup_qp() fails after allocating i_sends but before allocating i_recvs, the sends_out path frees i_sends without clearing the pointer. A later shutdown pass can still treat that stale pointer as a live send ring allocation. Clear i_sends after vfree() in the error unwind path so the existing shutdown logic continues to use the correct ownership state.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-07-01
Last Modified
2026-07-01
Generated
2026-07-01
AI Q&A
2026-07-01
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-53355
EUVD
EUVD-2026-40989

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

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Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Mitigation Strategies

The vulnerability has been resolved in the Linux kernel by clearing the i_sends pointer after freeing it during the error unwind path in the RDS IB connection teardown process.

To mitigate this vulnerability, you should update your Linux kernel to a version that includes this fix.

Executive Summary

This vulnerability exists in the Linux kernel's RDS IB connection teardown path. Specifically, when the function rds_ib_setup_qp() fails after allocating a resource called i_sends but before allocating i_recvs, the code frees i_sends without clearing its pointer. This means that during a later shutdown attempt, the system might mistakenly treat this stale pointer as if it still points to a valid send ring allocation. The fix involves clearing the i_sends pointer after freeing it to ensure the shutdown logic correctly recognizes the ownership state of resources.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can lead to improper handling of memory resources during connection teardown in the Linux kernel's RDS IB subsystem. Because a stale pointer is not cleared after freeing, subsequent shutdown attempts might operate on invalid memory references. This could potentially cause system instability, crashes, or undefined behavior in the kernel, impacting system reliability and availability.

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