CVE-2026-74379

Received Received - Intake

Memory Leak in Linux Kernel DAX KMem

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: dax/kmem: account for partial discontiguous resource upon removal When dev_dax_kmem_probe() partially succeeds (at least one range is mapped) but a subsequent range fails request_mem_region() or add_memory_driver_managed(), the probe silently continues, ultimately returning success, but with the corresponding range resource NULL'ed out. dev_dax_kmem_remove() iterates over all dax_device ranges regardless of if the underlying resource exists. When remove_memory() is called later, it returns 0 because the memory was never added which causes dev_dax_kmem_remove() to incorrectly assume the (nonexistent) resource can be removed and attempts cleanup on a NULL pointer. Fix this by skipping these ranges altogether, noting that these cases are considered success, such that the cleanup is still reached when all actually-added ranges are successfully removed.

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-2026-74379

EUVD

EUVD-2026-59526

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 improper handling of memory resources during device probe and removal. When a device driver partially succeeds in mapping memory ranges but fails later steps, the system incorrectly assumes all operations completed successfully. This leads to NULL pointer dereferences during cleanup, potentially causing crashes or undefined behavior.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's dax/kmem functionality and does not have direct network detection methods. Check kernel logs for errors related to dax/kmem or memory management failures using commands like dmesg | grep dax or journalctl -k | grep dax.

Impact Analysis

This could cause system instability, crashes, or unexpected behavior when managing memory-mapped devices. Users might experience kernel panics, data corruption, or denial of service if the affected driver is in use. Systems relying on memory hotplug features could be particularly affected.

Compliance Impact

This vulnerability does not directly affect compliance with GDPR, HIPAA, or similar standards. It involves a memory management issue in the Linux kernel that could lead to resource leaks or NULL pointer dereferences during device removal, but there is no evidence it impacts data protection, privacy, or security controls required by these regulations.

Mitigation Strategies

Apply the latest kernel patches or updates that address this issue. Monitor kernel logs for related errors and ensure proper memory management during device removal. If using dax/kmem, verify resource cleanup processes to prevent NULL pointer issues.

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