CVE-2026-72128 nvmet: fix refcount leak in nvmet_sq_create()
A refcount leak in the Linux kernel NVMe target driver allows local attackers to cause resource exhaustion and denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-72128?
CVE-2026-72128 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
nvmet: fix refcount leak in nvmet_sq_create()
In nvmet_sq_create(), a reference on the ctrl is taken via kref_get_unless_zero() before calling nvmet_check_sqid(). If nvmet_check_sqid() fails, the function returns the error directly without releasing the reference, leading to a leak.
Fix this by jumping to the "ctrl_put" label, which already performs the necessary nvmet_ctrl_put(ctrl). This ensures the reference is properly released on this error path.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72128?
How do I fix CVE-2026-72128?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2026-72128 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72128 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-72128, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72128, GHSA-qr86-v236-8g77, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72128.