CVE-2026-72266 fbdev: vesafb: fix memory leak in vesafb_probe()
A memory leak in the Linux kernel vesafb driver allows local attackers to exhaust system memory, potentially causing a denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Not needed
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-72266?
CVE-2026-72266 is a memory corruption 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:
fbdev: vesafb: fix memory leak in vesafb_probe()
Since commit 73ce73c30ba9 ("fbdev: Transfer video= option strings to caller; clarify ownership") the string returned from fb_get_options() is expected to be freed by the caller. But the string is not freed in vesafb_probe(). Fix that by freeing the option string after setup.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-72266?
How do I fix CVE-2026-72266?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-72266 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-72266 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2026-72266, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-72266, GHSA-42qw-3hfc-mw9v, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-72266.