Linux Kernel up to 6.6.156/6.12.109/6.18.51/7.2.5 SMB Client smb2_new_read_req memory leak

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7.2	$0-$5k	0.00

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.156/6.12.109/6.18.51/7.2.5. The impacted element is the function smb2_new_read_req of the component SMB Client. The manipulation results in memory leak. This vulnerability is cataloged as CVE-2026-90125. The attack may be launched remotely. There is no exploit available. Upgrading the affected component is advised.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.6.156/6.12.109/6.18.51/7.2.5. It has been classified as critical. Affected is the function smb2_new_read_req of the component SMB Client. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a memory leak vulnerability. CWE is classifying the issue as CWE-401. The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, which slowly consumes remaining memory. This is going to have an impact on availability. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: smb: client: fix request buffer leak in smb2_new_read_req() smb2_new_read_req() allocates the request buffer with smb2_plain_req_init() but only publishes it to the caller with *buf = req at the very end of the function. Two error returns sit in between: rc = smb2_plain_req_init(SMB2_READ, io_parms->tcon, server, (void **) &req, total_len); if (rc) return rc; if (server == NULL) return -ECONNABORTED; [...] rdata->mr = smbd_register_mr(server->smbd_conn, &rdata->subreq.io_iter, true, need_invalidate); if (!rdata->mr) return -EAGAIN; On either of them the buffer is neither released nor handed back, so it is leaked. The caller cannot clean up after it: smb2_async_readv() does 'goto out' on a non-zero return, which skips the cifs_small_buf_release(buf) at async_readv_out, and buf has not been assigned at that point in any case. The write path has never had this problem. smb2_async_writev() registers the memory region inline and jumps to its release label instead of returning: wdata->mr = smbd_register_mr(...); if (!wdata->mr) { rc = -EAGAIN; goto async_writev_out; } Commit b7972092199f ("cifs: smbd: Retry on memory registration failure") changed both sides from -ENOBUFS to -EAGAIN in a single patch, which puts the two shapes next to each other. Only the -EAGAIN return is reachable in practice, because smb2_plain_req_init() calls smb2_reconnect() first and that already fails with -EIO when server is NULL, before anything is allocated. Both returns are given the same treatment here rather than leaving one of them correct only by accident. Because -EAGAIN is a replayable error, the failure also reaches the retry block at the end of smb2_async_readv(), which marks the subrequest NETFS_SREQ_NEED_RETRY, so a failing registration can be retried rather than ending the I/O, and every attempt that reaches it leaks another buffer. smb2_should_replay() short-circuits on tcon->retry, so on a hard mount the attempt count is not bounded by the retrans setting. Only the asynchronous read path is affected. The synchronous SMB2_read() caller passes rdata == NULL and the memory registration block is guarded on rdata. The memory registration failure path was pointed out by the Sashiko AI reviewer while it was reviewing an unrelated patch to smb2_async_readv().

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2026-90125 since 09/11/2026. The exploitability is told to be easy. It is possible to launch the attack remotely. The exploitation doesn't require any form of authentication. 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 09/17/2026). The MITRE ATT&CK project declares the attack technique as T1499.

Upgrading to version 6.6.157, 6.12.110, 6.18.52, 7.2.6 or 7.3-rc1 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 58066940076b90c16e821fd6f9767cd979cbdb5e/12092ed28434bf41e08d41e3c5269eb6b337fc02/442c5f1358ced0d4e716778ac06f1e323a7e4f21/73f6bdb0380486ab37fe12cd74de20abfaf5d3ae/deb6468f4164640e4dc875f008aa449cf55987a5 is able to eliminate this problem. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

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Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.6.156
• 6.12.109
• 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
• 6.18.44
• 6.18.45
• 6.18.46
• 6.18.47
• 6.18.48
• 6.18.49
• 6.18.50
• 6.18.51
• 7.2.0
• 7.2.1
• 7.2.2
• 7.2.3
• 7.2.4
• 7.2.5

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv4info

VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv3info

VulDB Meta Base Score: 7.5
VulDB Meta Temp Score: 7.2

VulDB Base Score: 7.5
VulDB Temp Score: 7.2
VulDB Vector: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

CVSSv2info

AV	AC	Au	C	I	A
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳
💳	💳	💳	💳	💳	💳

Vector	Complexity	Authentication	Confidentiality	Integrity	Availability
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VulDB Base Score: 🔒
VulDB Temp Score: 🔒
VulDB Reliability: 🔍

Exploitinginfo

Class: Memory leak
CWE: CWE-401 / CWE-404
CAPEC: 🔒
ATT&CK: 🔒

Physical: No
Local: No
Remote: Yes

Availability: 🔒
Status: Not defined
Price Prediction: 🔍
Current Price Estimation: 🔒

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Today	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock	Unlock

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Interest: 🔍
Active Actors: 🔍
Active APT Groups: 🔍

Countermeasuresinfo

Recommended: Upgrade
Status: 🔍

0-Day Time: 🔒

Upgrade: Kernel 6.6.157/6.12.110/6.18.52/7.2.6/7.3-rc1
Patch: 58066940076b90c16e821fd6f9767cd979cbdb5e/12092ed28434bf41e08d41e3c5269eb6b337fc02/442c5f1358ced0d4e716778ac06f1e323a7e4f21/73f6bdb0380486ab37fe12cd74de20abfaf5d3ae/deb6468f4164640e4dc875f008aa449cf55987a5

Timelineinfo

09/11/2026 CVE reserved
09/17/2026 +6 days Advisory disclosed
09/17/2026 +0 days VulDB entry created
09/17/2026 +0 days VulDB entry last update

Sourcesinfo

Vendor: kernel.org

Advisory: git.kernel.org
Status: Confirmed

CVE: CVE-2026-90125 (🔒)
GCVE (CVE): GCVE-0-2026-90125
GCVE (VulDB): GCVE-100-406644

Entryinfo

Created: 09/17/2026 19:44
Changes: 09/17/2026 19:44 (59)
Complete: 🔍
Cache ID: 216::103

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