Improper resource shutdown or release in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-46040

 

Improper resource shutdown or release in Linux kernel - CVE-2026-46040

Published: May 28, 2026


Vulnerability identifier: #VU132448
CSH Severity: Low
CVSS v4: 6.8 [CVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:L/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:N/VI:N/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N]
CVE-ID: CVE-2026-46040
CWE-ID: CWE-404
Exploitation vector: Local access
Exploit availability: No public exploit available

Vulnerability details

The vulnerability allows a local user to cause a denial of service.

The vulnerability exists due to improper resource shutdown or release in inotify_new_watch() when handling a failure from fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked(). A local user can repeatedly trigger watch creation failures to cause a denial of service.

The issue can exhaust the max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active.


Affected software

Linux kernel
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for SAP Applications 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Real Time 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Workstation Extension 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise High Availability Extension 15
SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 15
Basesystem Module
SUSE Linux Enterprise Live Patching
Public Cloud Module
Legacy Module
Development Tools Module
SUSE Real Time Module
Ubuntu
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_67-rt
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_18-debugsource
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_67-rt-debuginfo
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_19-debugsource
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_73-default
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_73-default-debuginfo
linux (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-tegra (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-intel-iotg (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package)
kernel-rt
dlm-kmp-rt
kernel-rt-debuginfo
kernel-devel-rt
kernel-source-rt
cluster-md-kmp-rt
kernel-rt-debugsource
ocfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo
kernel-syms-rt
cluster-md-kmp-rt-debuginfo
gfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo
kernel-rt-devel
dlm-kmp-rt-debuginfo
gfs2-kmp-rt
ocfs2-kmp-rt
kernel-rt-devel-debuginfo
kernel-syms
kernel-docs
kernel-source
kernel-devel
kernel-macros
kernel-default-devel-debuginfo
kernel-zfcpdump
kernel-obs-build
ocfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo
gfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo
gfs2-kmp-default
cluster-md-kmp-default
dlm-kmp-default
cluster-md-kmp-default-debuginfo
dlm-kmp-default-debuginfo
ocfs2-kmp-default
kernel-azure-debugsource
kernel-zfcpdump-debuginfo
kernel-zfcpdump-debugsource
kernel-default
kernel-64kb-debuginfo
kernel-64kb-devel-debuginfo
kernel-64kb-devel
kernel-64kb-debugsource
kernel-64kb
kernel-default-devel
kernel-obs-build-debugsource
kernel-azure-devel-debuginfo
kernel-azure-debuginfo
kernel-azure
kernel-default-livepatch
kernel-default-debugsource
kernel-default-livepatch-devel
kernel-default-debuginfo
kernel-default-extra
kernel-default-extra-debuginfo
kernel-azure-devel
reiserfs-kmp-default-debuginfo
reiserfs-kmp-default
kernel-default-base
linux-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package)
linux-oracle-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-nvidia (Ubuntu package)
linux-aws-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-azure-fde-6.8 (Ubuntu package)
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package)
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package)

How to mitigate CVE-2026-46040

Install security update from vendor's repository.

Linux kernel - update to 7.0 rc3
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_67-rt - update to 1-150700.1.5.1
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7-RT_Update_18-debugsource - update to 1-150700.1.5.1
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_7_67-rt-debuginfo - update to 1-150700.1.5.1
kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP7_Update_19-debugsource - update to 1-150700.15.3.4
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_73-default - update to 1-150700.15.3.4
kernel-livepatch-6_4_0-150700_53_73-default-debuginfo - update to 1-150700.15.3.4
linux (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.184.155, 5.15.0-184.194, 5.15.0-184.194~20.04.1, 5.15.0.186.166, 5.15.0-186.196, 5.15.0-186.196~20.04.1, 5.15.0.1075.78, 5.15.0-1075.79, 5.15.0.1095.94, 5.15.0-1095.103, 5.15.0.1104.100, 5.15.0-1104.109, 5.15.0.1108.107, 5.15.0-1108.114, 5.15.0.1111.115, 5.15.0-1111.120+fips1, 5.15.0.1112.102, 5.15.0.1112.109, 5.15.0-1112.122, 5.15.0-1112.122+fips1, 6.8.0-136.136, 6.8.0-1046.50, 6.8.0-1059.67, 6.8.0-1064.72, 6.8.0-1064.72~22.04.1, 6.8.1-1056.57, 6.8.1-1056.57~22.04.2, 7.0.0-27.27
linux-aws (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.186.109, 5.15.0-186.196+fips1, 5.15.0.1106.103, 5.15.0-1106.110, 5.15.0.1107.107, 5.15.0-1107.108, 5.15.0.1112.108, 5.15.0.1112.115, 5.15.0-1112.119, 5.15.0-1112.119+fips1, 5.15.0-1112.119~20.04.1, 6.8.0-1061.64+1
linux-nvidia-tegra (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1053.53, 5.15.0.1053.55, 5.15.0.1064.64, 5.15.0-1064.66
linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1064.66~20.04.1
linux-intel-iot-realtime (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1104.106, 5.15.0.1104.108, 5.15.0-1107.113~20.04.1
linux-ibm-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - update to 5.15.0-1106.110~20.04.1
linux-intel-iotg (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1107.106, 5.15.0-1107.113
linux-azure (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1109.105, 5.15.0-1109.115, 5.15.0.1117.115, 5.15.0-1117.126, 6.8.0-1063.71, 6.8.0-1063.71~22.04.1, 7.0.0-1009.9, 7.0.0-1010.10
linux-azure-5.15 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1109.115~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1117.126~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1117.126~20.04.2
linux-azure-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0.1117.102, 5.15.0-1117.126+fips1, 6.8.0-1063.71+fips2
linux-azure-fde (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 5.15.0-1117.126, 6.8.0-1062.69
kernel-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
dlm-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-devel-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-source-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
cluster-md-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-rt-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
ocfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-syms-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
cluster-md-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
gfs2-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-rt-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
dlm-kmp-rt-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
gfs2-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
ocfs2-kmp-rt - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-rt-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.7.67.1
kernel-syms - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.1
kernel-docs - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.1
kernel-source - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.1
kernel-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.1
kernel-macros - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.1
kernel-default-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-zfcpdump - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-obs-build - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
ocfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
gfs2-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
gfs2-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
cluster-md-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
dlm-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
cluster-md-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
dlm-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
ocfs2-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-azure-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-zfcpdump-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-zfcpdump-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-64kb-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-64kb-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-64kb-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-64kb-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-64kb - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-obs-build-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-azure-devel-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-azure-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-azure - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-livepatch - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-debugsource - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-livepatch-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-extra - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-extra-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-azure-devel - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
reiserfs-kmp-default-debuginfo - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
reiserfs-kmp-default - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2
kernel-default-base - update to 6.4.0-150700.53.73.2.150700.17.41.4
linux-fips (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-136.136+fips2, 6.8.0-136.136.2, 6.8.0-136.136.2~22.04.1, 6.8.0-1058.61
linux-hwe-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-136.136~22.04.1
linux-ibm (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-1030.31, 6.8.0-1033.34, 6.8.0-1061.62, 6.8.0-1061.62~22.04.1
linux-oracle-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1058.61~22.04.1
linux-nvidia (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-1059.62, 6.8.0-1059.62.1, 6.8.0-1059.62~22.04.1, 7.0.0-1013.13
linux-aws-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - addressed in versions 6.8.0-1061.64+fips1, 6.8.0-1061.64~22.04.1
linux-azure-fde-6.8 (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1062.69~22.04.1
linux-gcp-fips (Ubuntu package) - update to 6.8.0-1064.72+fips1
linux-raspi (Ubuntu package) - update to 7.0.0-1014.14

External References

Related Security Bulletins