# 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.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-72128, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72128, GHSA-qr86-v236-8g77, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72128

## 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.

## Is CVE-2026-72128 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72128 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72128 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: 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.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72128 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72128/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72128/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72128
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72128
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72128

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72128/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.