Linux Kernel up to 6.18.43/7.1.7/7.2-rc5 PCI account_mem/unaccount_mem memory leak

| CVSS Meta Temp Score | Current Exploit Price (≈) | CTI Interest Score |
|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | $0-$5k | 0.50- |
Summary
A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.18.43/7.1.7/7.2-rc5. It has been declared as very critical. The impacted element is the function account_mem/unaccount_mem of the component PCI. Executing a manipulation can lead to memory leak.
This vulnerability is registered as CVE-2026-74514. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. No exploit is available.
Details
A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.18.43/7.1.7/7.2-rc5. It has been declared as very critical. This vulnerability affects the function account_mem/unaccount_mem of the component PCI. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a memory leak vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-401. The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, which slowly consumes remaining memory. As an impact it is known to affect confidentiality, integrity, and availability. CVE summarizes:
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: KVM: s390: pci: Fix memory accounting for pinned/unpinned pages The account_mem() and unaccount_mem() functions call get_uid() which increments the reference count of struct user_struct on every invocation. But we don't decrement the count by calling free_uid(). It also accounted/unaccounted the pages against the current->mm. But its possible the unaccount_mem() can be called from a different process context than the one that originally pinned the pages. Let's fix this by storing the pinning process user_struct and mm_struct when accounting for pinned pages, and subsequently free these resources when the pages are unpinned. [[email protected]: Fixed whitespace]
The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2026-74514 since 08/15/2026. The exploitation appears to be easy. The attack can be initiated remotely. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available. The current price for an exploit might be approx. USD $0-$5k (estimation calculated on 08/15/2026). The MITRE ATT&CK project declares the attack technique as T1499.
Upgrading to version 6.18.44, 7.1.8 or 7.2-rc6 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 70871b121f81d08879363cb1238a4c85c5c2800c/e3f732e086e438c52c7400bd2734bb166aa4752c/36f6999ecde3976731a8bfc0b8e667da6f593069 is able to eliminate this problem.
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Product
Type
Vendor
Name
Version
- 6.18.0
- 6.18.1
- 6.18.2
- 6.18.3
- 6.18.4
- 6.18.5
- 6.18.6
- 6.18.7
- 6.18.8
- 6.18.9
- 6.18.10
- 6.18.11
- 6.18.12
- 6.18.13
- 6.18.14
- 6.18.15
- 6.18.16
- 6.18.17
- 6.18.18
- 6.18.19
- 6.18.20
- 6.18.21
- 6.18.22
- 6.18.23
- 6.18.24
- 6.18.25
- 6.18.26
- 6.18.27
- 6.18.28
- 6.18.29
- 6.18.30
- 6.18.31
- 6.18.32
- 6.18.33
- 6.18.34
- 6.18.35
- 6.18.36
- 6.18.37
- 6.18.38
- 6.18.39
- 6.18.40
- 6.18.41
- 6.18.42
- 6.18.43
- 7.1.0
- 7.1.1
- 7.1.2
- 7.1.3
- 7.1.4
- 7.1.5
- 7.1.6
- 7.1.7
- 7.2-rc1
- 7.2-rc2
- 7.2-rc3
- 7.2-rc4
- 7.2-rc5
License
Website
- Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/
CPE 2.3
CPE 2.2
CVSSv4
VulDB Vector: 🔒VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv3
VulDB Meta Base Score: 9.9VulDB Meta Temp Score: 9.5
VulDB Base Score: 9.9
VulDB Temp Score: 9.5
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
CVSSv2
| AV | AC | Au | C | I | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 | 💳 |
| Vector | Complexity | Authentication | Confidentiality | Integrity | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
| Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍
Exploiting
Class: Memory leakCWE: CWE-401 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒
Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes
Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒
| 0-Day | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
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| Today | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock | Unlock |
Threat Intelligence
Interest: 🔍Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍
Countermeasures
Recommended: UpgradeStatus: 🔍
0-Day Time: 🔒
Upgrade: Kernel 6.18.44/7.1.8/7.2-rc6
Patch: 70871b121f81d08879363cb1238a4c85c5c2800c/e3f732e086e438c52c7400bd2734bb166aa4752c/36f6999ecde3976731a8bfc0b8e667da6f593069
Timeline
08/15/2026 Advisory disclosed08/15/2026 CVE reserved
08/15/2026 VulDB entry created
08/15/2026 VulDB entry last update
Sources
Vendor: kernel.orgAdvisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed
CVE: CVE-2026-74514 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-74514
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-390760
Entry
Created: 08/15/2026 14:49Changes: 08/15/2026 14:49 (59)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103
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