Junglewise Threat Intelligence

CVE-2026-23038: Linux Kernel memory leak in pnfs flexfiles layout driver

CVE-2026-23038 · Severity: info · CVSS 0 · Published 2026-01-31

Technologies: Linux Kernel. Vendors: Linux.

Executive brief

A memory leak was identified in the Linux kernel's NFS flexfiles layout driver. This component is used to manage high-performance file storage access. While not directly leading to data theft, such leaks can gradually consume system memory, potentially leading to system instability or performance degradation over time.

Technical details

A memory leak exists in the nfs4_ff_alloc_deviceid_node() function within fs/nfs/flexfilelayout/flexfilelayoutdev.c. The vulnerability is triggered when an allocation for 'ds_versions' fails; the error handling logic incorrectly jumps to a label that bypasses the deallocation of the 'dsaddrs' list. This results in leaked memory every time the specific failure condition is met. The fix involves redirecting the error jump to a label that properly drains and frees the dsaddrs list. This is a local resource exhaustion issue within the kernel's Parallel NFS (pNFS) flexfiles layout driver.

Affected products

  • Linux Linux kernel NFS flexfiles layout driver

Timeline

  • 2025-12-25: other: Patch authored
  • 2026-01-31: disclosed: CVE published

References

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