CVE-2026-72309

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel Tracing

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/remotes: Fix leak in trace_remote_alloc_buffer() error path If page allocation fails in trace_remote_alloc_buffer(), desc->nr_cpus is not yet incremented for the current CPU. As a consequence, on error, half-allocated rb_desc will not be freed in trace_remote_free_buffer(). Increment desc->nr_cpus as soon as the first allocation for the current CPU has succeeded.

CVSS Scores

EPSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-08-15

Last Modified

2026-08-17

Generated

2026-09-04

AI Q&A

2026-08-15

EPSS Evaluated

2026-09-03

NVD

CVE-2026-72309

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59208

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a memory leak in the tracing subsystem. When allocating memory for remote CPU tracing buffers fails, the system does not properly clean up partially allocated resources. Specifically, the counter tracking allocated CPUs is not updated before the failure, causing trace_remote_free_buffer() to miss freeing the incomplete buffer.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's tracing subsystem and does not have a direct network detection method. It involves a memory leak in the trace_remote_alloc_buffer() function during page allocation failures. To detect it, monitor kernel logs for trace-related errors or memory allocation failures using commands like dmesg | grep -i trace or journalctl -k | grep -i trace.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could lead to memory leaks during tracing operations, potentially causing system instability or resource exhaustion over time. It may affect performance in systems heavily using kernel tracing features.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards as it is a memory leak in the Linux kernel's tracing subsystem with no documented impact on data protection or privacy controls.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel patches or updates that address this issue. Since this is a kernel-level vulnerability, updating to a patched kernel version is the primary mitigation. Check your distribution's security advisories for kernel updates.

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