CVE-2026-72456
Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel AppArmor

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: apparmor: release exe file resources on path failure get_current_exe_path() takes both an exe_file reference and a path reference before resolving the path name. If aa_path_name() failed, it returned immediately and leaked both references. Route the failure through the common cleanup path so fput() and path_put() always run after the references are acquired.

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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-2026-72456
EUVD
EUVD-2026-59355

Affected Vendors & Products

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

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Exploitability

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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a resource leak in the AppArmor security module. When the function get_current_exe_path() fails to resolve a path name, it does not properly release two file references (exe_file and path). This causes a memory leak where system resources are not freed after use.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's AppArmor module and does not have a direct network detection method. To check if your system is affected, verify the kernel version and AppArmor status using commands like 'uname -r' and 'aa-status'. If your kernel version is below the patched release, the system may be vulnerable.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could lead to resource exhaustion on your system. Over time, un-released file references may consume excessive memory or file descriptors, potentially causing system slowdowns, crashes, or denial-of-service conditions. It primarily affects systems using AppArmor for security.

Mitigation Strategies

Update the Linux kernel to the latest patched version immediately. If updating is not possible, consider disabling AppArmor temporarily as a workaround. Monitor vendor advisories for kernel updates and apply them promptly to ensure full protection.

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