CVE-2026-31654
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. When a shared memory mapping is created for /dev/zero, a memory leak can occur if the virtual memory area (VMA) allocation fails. This happens because a newly allocated file, intended to back the mapping, is not properly released in the error path, leading to unreferenced memory objects. An attacker could potentially exploit this to cause a denial of service due to resource exhaustion.
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Resource Consumption (Other); DoS: Resource Consumption (Memory); DoS: Resource Consumption (CPU)
An attacker that can influence the allocation of resources that are not properly released could deplete the available resource pool and prevent all other processes from accessing the same type of resource. Frequently-affected resources include memory, CPU, disk space, power or battery, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions
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