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GHSA-38G3-XQXQ-2V2P

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-05-27 15:33 – Updated: 2026-05-27 15:33

Details

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails

When fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(), the error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call dec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches(). This leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active.

Prior to commit 1cce1eea0aff ("inotify: Convert to using per-namespace limits"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked() succeeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved inc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the corresponding rollback.

Add the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path.

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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-46040"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-05-27T14:17:23Z",
    "severity": null
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ninotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails\n\nWhen fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(),\nthe error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call\ndec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches().\nThis leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the\nmax_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active.\n\nPrior to commit 1cce1eea0aff (\"inotify: Convert to using per-namespace\nlimits\"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked()\nsucceeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved\ninc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the\ncorresponding rollback.\n\nAdd the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path.",
  "id": "GHSA-38g3-xqxq-2v2p",
  "modified": "2026-05-27T15:33:22Z",
  "published": "2026-05-27T15:33:21Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46040"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a320935fa4293e9e599ec9f85dc9eb3be7029f8"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/73ddc8518a32baff6bc17afda4ee1ebae5b4ed12"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8bcc1cd237ab5ccfdd102869fa031c541943cf40"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306d"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdaa42ca370d056428e5e171247c8fdce8dff36a"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": []
}

CVE-2026-46040 (GCVE-0-2026-46040)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-05-27 12:56 – Updated: 2026-05-27 12:56

Title

inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails When fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(), the error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call dec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches(). This leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active. Prior to commit 1cce1eea0aff ("inotify: Convert to using per-namespace limits"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked() succeeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved inc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the corresponding rollback. Add the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path.

Severity

No CVSS data available.

Assigner

Linux

References

5 references

URL	Tags
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8bcc1cd237ab5ccfd…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/73ddc8518a32baff6…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdaa42ca370d05642…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e48844f708eb48ba…
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a320935fa4293e9e…

Impacted products

2 products

Vendor	Product	Version
Linux	Linux	Affected: 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 , < 8bcc1cd237ab5ccfdd102869fa031c541943cf40 (git) Affected: 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 , < 73ddc8518a32baff6bc17afda4ee1ebae5b4ed12 (git) Affected: 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 , < fdaa42ca370d056428e5e171247c8fdce8dff36a (git) Affected: 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 , < 9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306d (git) Affected: 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 , < 6a320935fa4293e9e599ec9f85dc9eb3be7029f8 (git)
Linux	Linux	Affected: 4.11 Unaffected: 0 , < 4.11 (semver) Unaffected: 6.6.140 , ≤ 6.6.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.12.86 , ≤ 6.12.* (semver) Unaffected: 6.18.27 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.0.4 , ≤ 7.0.* (semver) Unaffected: 7.1-rc1 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)

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{
  "containers": {
    "cna": {
      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
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              "lessThan": "8bcc1cd237ab5ccfdd102869fa031c541943cf40",
              "status": "affected",
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              "versionType": "git"
            },
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            },
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              "lessThan": "fdaa42ca370d056428e5e171247c8fdce8dff36a",
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              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306d",
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6",
              "versionType": "git"
            },
            {
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              "status": "affected",
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              "versionType": "git"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "versions": [
            {
              "status": "affected",
              "version": "4.11"
            },
            {
              "lessThan": "4.11",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "0",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.6.140",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.12.86",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "6.18.27",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.0.*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.0.4",
              "versionType": "semver"
            },
            {
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "status": "unaffected",
              "version": "7.1-rc1",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "cpeApplicability": [
        {
          "nodes": [
            {
              "cpeMatch": [
                {
                  "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
                  "versionEndExcluding": "6.6.140",
                  "versionStartIncluding": "4.11",
                  "vulnerable": true
                },
                {
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                },
                {
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      ],
      "providerMetadata": {
        "dateUpdated": "2026-05-27T12:56:52.161Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
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        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306d"
        },
        {
          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a320935fa4293e9e599ec9f85dc9eb3be7029f8"
        }
      ],
      "title": "inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails",
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  "cveMetadata": {
    "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-46040",
    "datePublished": "2026-05-27T12:56:52.161Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-05-13T15:03:33.094Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-05-27T12:56:52.161Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
  },
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  "dataVersion": "5.2"
}

Sightings

Author	Source	Type	Date	Other

Nomenclature

Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or observed by the user.
Confirmed: The vulnerability has been validated from an analyst's perspective.
Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
Exploited: The vulnerability was observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Patched: The vulnerability was observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.
Not exploited: The vulnerability was not observed as exploited by the user who reported the sighting.
Not confirmed: The user expressed doubt about the validity of the vulnerability.
Not patched: The vulnerability was not observed as successfully patched by the user who reported the sighting.

Detection rules are retrieved from Rulezet.

Action not permitted

GHSA-38G3-XQXQ-2V2P

CVE-2026-46040 (GCVE-0-2026-46040)

Tags

Sightings

Nomenclature