inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-46040 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | Linux |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-05-27 14:17:23 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-06-01 17:17:20 UTC |
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails When fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(), the error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call dec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches(). This leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active. Prior to commit 1cce1eea0aff ("inotify: Convert to using per-namespace limits"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked() succeeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved inc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the corresponding rollback. Add the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path. |
Risk And Classification
EPSS: 0.000180000 probability, percentile 0.050770000 (date 2026-06-01)
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 3ab58cf42c46bf2366d2f55ae5c59299d5e178b7 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 10edf7e0ffdc7faa18e2244b17722c1b882b8273 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 3ad9ccea1b25435f6179b57aa891960beb7ce8f9 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 8bcc1cd237ab5ccfdd102869fa031c541943cf40 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 73ddc8518a32baff6bc17afda4ee1ebae5b4ed12 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 fdaa42ca370d056428e5e171247c8fdce8dff36a git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306d git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 6a320935fa4293e9e599ec9f85dc9eb3be7029f8 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 4.11 | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 4.11 semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 5.10.258 5.10.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 5.15.209 5.15.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.1.175 6.1.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.6.140 6.6.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.12.86 6.12.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.18.27 6.18.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 7.0.4 7.0.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 7.1-rc1 * original_commit_for_fix | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/8bcc1cd237ab5ccfdd102869fa031c541943cf40 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/10edf7e0ffdc7faa18e2244b17722c1b882b8273 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ad9ccea1b25435f6179b57aa891960beb7ce8f9 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a320935fa4293e9e599ec9f85dc9eb3be7029f8 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/73ddc8518a32baff6bc17afda4ee1ebae5b4ed12 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306d | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/fdaa42ca370d056428e5e171247c8fdce8dff36a | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/3ab58cf42c46bf2366d2f55ae5c59299d5e178b7 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.