# CVE-2026-72219: lockd: Plug nlm_file leak when nlm_do_fopen() fails

> A remote attacker can cause a memory leak in the Linux kernel lockd module by triggering file open failures, leading to denial of service.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 15 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-72219, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72219, GHSA-m2jh-wwh7-6pvf, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72219

## What is CVE-2026-72219?

CVE-2026-72219 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

lockd: Plug nlm_file leak when nlm_do_fopen() fails

A client can repeatedly drive nlm_do_fopen() failures by presenting
file handles that the underlying export rejects. After kzalloc_obj()
succeeds in nlm_lookup_file(), the freshly allocated nlm_file is not
yet inserted into nlm_files[]. The nlm_do_fopen() failure path jumps
to out_unlock, which releases nlm_file_mutex and returns without
freeing the allocation, so each failure leaks one nlm_file.

Route the failure through out_free so kfree() runs before the
function returns.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72219?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-72219?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-72219 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72219 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-72219 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-72219 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 15 Aug 2026. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72219 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-2026-72219/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72219/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72219
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72219
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-72219

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-72219/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.