CVE-2010-4250: Memory leak in the inotify_init1 function in fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c in the Linux kernel before 2....

Security readout for executives and security teams

This is an old Linux kernel flaw where repeated failed file-creation activity could leak kernel memory through inotify setup. A local user could potentially consume memory until the system becomes unstable or unavailable. The source bundle does not provide CVSS scoring or evidence of active exploitation. Exposure is most relevant to systems running Linux kernels earlier than 2.6.37, or vendor kernels that did not backport the upstream fix. Risk is higher on shared systems, hosting platforms, build servers, or environments where untrusted local users can run code. Prioritize as a legacy local denial-of-service risk. It is not presented as remotely exploitable, but it matters on shared Linux infrastructure because one local user could affect availability for others. Patch through normal kernel maintenance unless the environment allows untrusted local execution. Mitigation focus: Identify systems running kernels earlier than 2.6.37 or missing the referenced upstream fix.; Apply vendor-supported kernel updates that include the inotify memory leak fix.; Prioritize shared or multi-user Linux hosts where local users are not fully trusted..

Prepared

Jun 24, 2026, 12:34 UTC (UTC+00:00)

Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.