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CVE Record

CVE-2026-46042: mm/mempolicy: fix memory leaks in weighted_interleave_auto_store()

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/mempolicy: fix memory leaks in weighted_interleave_auto_store() weighted_interleave_auto_store() fetches old_wi_state inside the if (!input) block only. This causes two memory leaks: 1. When a user writes "false" and the current mode is already manual, the function returns early without freeing the freshly allocated new_wi_state. 2. When a user writes "true", old_wi_state stays NULL because the fetch is skipped entirely. The old state is then overwritten by rcu_assign_pointer() but never freed, since the cleanup path is gated on old_wi_state being non-NULL. A user can trigger this repeatedly by writing "1" in a loop. Fix both leaks by moving the old_wi_state fetch before the input check, making it unconditional. This also allows a unified early return for both "true" and "false" when the requested mode matches the current mode. Reviewed by: Donet Tom <donettom@linux.ibm.com>

UnknownCVSS not scoredNot KEV-listedUpdated
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Glexia's TakeAutomated analysisunknown

Security readout for executives and security teams

Plain-English summary

This Linux kernel issue is a memory leak in memory policy handling. A local user changing the weighted interleave mode can cause old or newly allocated state to remain unfreed. The sources describe a repeatable leak but do not provide CVSS, impact rating, or active exploitation evidence.

Executive priority

Treat this as a patch-tracking item, not an emergency, unless affected kernels run on shared or hostile multi-user systems. The available evidence supports a local memory leak risk, but not active exploitation or remote compromise.

Technical view

The bug is in weighted_interleave_auto_store(). old_wi_state was fetched only in the !input path, so some early returns leaked new_wi_state and true-mode updates overwrote the old RCU pointer without freeing it. Linux stable commits fix this by fetching old_wi_state unconditionally and unifying same-mode returns.

Likely exposure

Exposure appears limited to Linux systems running affected kernel versions containing the vulnerable mm/mempolicy code. The source bundle lists Linux as the affected product but does not clarify distributions, configurations, privileges required, or exact reachable interfaces.

Exploitation context

CISA KEV is false and the provided sources do not claim active exploitation. The CVE description says a user can trigger the leak repeatedly by changing the setting, suggesting local misuse could create resource pressure. No remote attack path is described.

Researcher notes

Version data in the bundle is incomplete and unusual, with no CVSS or CWE. The clearest evidence is the Linux stable fix rationale. Avoid over-scoping beyond Linux kernel mm/mempolicy until vendor advisories map affected distribution kernels.

Mitigation direction

  • Check Linux distribution advisories for kernels containing the referenced stable fixes.
  • Prioritize patching multi-user Linux systems where local users or workloads are less trusted.
  • Track whether deployed kernels include the three referenced Linux stable commits.
  • If patching is delayed, monitor memory pressure on affected hosts.

Validation and detection

  • Inventory Linux kernel versions across production and shared compute systems.
  • Compare deployed kernel build provenance against vendor advisories and stable commit inclusion.
  • Review monitoring for unusual kernel memory growth on candidate affected systems.
  • Document any systems requiring vendor confirmation because version mapping is unclear.
Prepared
Confidence
medium
Sources
5

Public sources used

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

Potential ATT&CK relevance

Conservative CVE-to-ATT&CK context

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Vulnerability profileCVE Program record
Severity
Unknown
CVSS
Not scored
Known Exploited
No
Published
Official CVE source material

CNA and ADP enrichment extracted from CVE v5

These fields come from the CVE record and ADP containers, not from Glexia's Take. They preserve time-varying source decisions such as CISA SSVC, KEV status, CVSS metrics, and provider references.

0CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
0ADP providers
4Source links

Vulnerability timeline

Timeline events are normalized from CVE metadata, CNA source timelines, ADP timelines, and KEV metadata when present.

  1. CVE reservedCVE Program

    The CVE ID was reserved by the assigning CNA.

  2. CVE publishedCVE Program

    The CVE record was published.

  3. CVE updatedCVE Program

    The CVE record metadata indicates this as the latest update time.

Source materials

Affected products

Products and packages named in the record

VendorProductVersion / packageStatus
LinuxLinuxe341f9c3c8412e57fe0042a33a2640245ecdf619, e341f9c3c8412e57fe0042a33a2640245ecdf619, e341f9c3c8412e57fe0042a33a2640245ecdf619unaffected
LinuxLinux6.16, 0, 6.18.27, 7.0.4, 7.1affected
Weakness

CWE details

No CWE listed

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