CVE-2026-72437
Received Received - Intake

md/raid1 Memory Leak in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-08-15

Last updated on: 2026-08-15

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: md/raid1: free r1_bio when REQ_NOWAIT is set and read would block on retry When a read is retried, raid1_read_request() may be called with a pre-allocated r1_bio. If wait_read_barrier() fails for a REQ_NOWAIT read, the bio is completed and the function returns immediately. In this case the existing r1_bio is leaked. This fixes a leak of pre-allocated r1_bio structures for retried reads.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-08-15
Last Modified
2026-08-15
Generated
2026-08-15
AI Q&A
2026-08-15
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-72437
EUVD
EUVD-2026-59336

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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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a memory leak in the RAID1 implementation. When a read operation is retried with the REQ_NOWAIT flag set and the read would block, the system fails to properly free a pre-allocated data structure called r1_bio. This leads to a leak of these structures during retries.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's md/raid1 module and does not have a direct network-based detection method. To detect it, monitor for memory leaks in the raid1 subsystem or check kernel logs for errors related to r1_bio allocation failures during read operations. Commands like dmesg, journalctl -k, or checking /proc/slabinfo for unusual memory usage in raid1 may help.

Impact Analysis

The impact is primarily on system stability and resource usage. The leaked r1_bio structures consume memory over time, which could lead to gradual performance degradation or potential system instability if the leak occurs frequently.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest Linux kernel patches that address this issue. If patches are unavailable, consider disabling RAID1 or using alternative RAID configurations until the fix is applied. Monitor system logs for raid1-related errors and ensure backups are current.

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