CVE-2026-72311

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel DRM/XE Driver

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: drm/xe: free madvise VMA array on L2 flush failure xe_vm_madvise_ioctl() allocates madvise_range.vmas in get_vmas(). After get_vmas() succeeds with at least one VMA, error paths must go through free_vmas so the array is released before the madvise details are destroyed. The L2 flush validation path added for PAT madvise rejects some SVM/userptr ranges after get_vmas() has succeeded, but jumps directly to madv_fini. This skips kfree(madvise_range.vmas), leaking the VMA array on each failed ioctl. Jump to free_vmas instead, matching the other validation failure paths after get_vmas() has succeeded. (cherry picked from commit c3a1c3579b1250060da73507a4acef712974c78a)

CVSS 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-2026-72311

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59210

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 is a memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's DRM/XE driver. When handling madvise operations, the function xe_vm_madvise_ioctl() allocates an array for VMA entries. If an error occurs during L2 flush validation, the code skips proper cleanup and fails to free this array, causing a memory leak on each failed ioctl call.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's DRM/XE driver and involves memory leaks during madvise operations. Detection requires kernel-level monitoring for memory leaks or failed ioctl calls in the xe driver. Check kernel logs for errors related to xe_vm_madvise_ioctl or madvise_range.vmas leaks.

Impact Analysis

The primary impact is system resource exhaustion. Repeated failed ioctl calls will leak memory, potentially leading to degraded performance, system instability, or crashes due to out-of-memory conditions. It may also cause applications using DRM/XE features to malfunction.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or other common standards and regulations. It is a memory leak issue in the Linux kernel's drm/xe driver, which could lead to resource exhaustion but does not involve data breaches or unauthorized access to sensitive information.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for this vulnerability. Monitor kernel logs for xe driver errors and ensure no memory leaks occur during madvise operations. Apply vendor patches if available.

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