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CVE-2026-72438

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: md/raid10: fix writes_pending and barrier reference leaks on discard failures raid10_make_request() acquires a writes_pending reference with md_write_start() before calling raid10_handle_discard(). Several failure paths in raid10_handle_discard() complete the bio and return without releasing the corresponding reference, causing md_write_end() to be skipped. Call md_write_end() before returning from these failure paths to keep writes_pending accounting balanced. Additionally, discard split allocation failures can occur after wait_barrier() succeeds. Those paths return without calling allow_barrier(), leaking the associated barrier reference. Release the barrier before returning from those paths.

Severity
HIGH
CVSS score
7.5 (v3.1)
Vulnerability status
Received
Source identifier
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Published
2026-08-15 06:22:17.660000
Last modified
2026-10-30 13:19:52.197000
View original CVE JSON 
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-72438",
  "sourceIdentifier": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
  "published": "2026-08-15T06:22:17.660",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-30T13:19:52.197",
  "vulnStatus": "Received",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nmd/raid10: fix writes_pending and barrier reference leaks on discard failures\n\nraid10_make_request() acquires a writes_pending reference with\nmd_write_start() before calling raid10_handle_discard(). Several failure\npaths in raid10_handle_discard() complete the bio and return without\nreleasing the corresponding reference, causing md_write_end() to be\nskipped.\n\nCall md_write_end() before returning from these failure paths to keep\nwrites_pending accounting balanced.\n\nAdditionally, discard split allocation failures can occur after\nwait_barrier() succeeds. Those paths return without calling\nallow_barrier(), leaking the associated barrier reference.\n\nRelease the barrier before returning from those paths."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/md/raid10.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "c9aa889b035fca4598ae985a0f0c76ebbb547ad2",
              "lessThan": "2d264c00beadcc67f16d683ab27eed28c047ba2e",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "c9aa889b035fca4598ae985a0f0c76ebbb547ad2",
              "lessThan": "80ac31cce55432034a9eb98262c92ace7866e494",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "c9aa889b035fca4598ae985a0f0c76ebbb547ad2",
              "lessThan": "fea33968592559a55a3f5a96a6386bebcaf988a8",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "c9aa889b035fca4598ae985a0f0c76ebbb547ad2",
              "lessThan": "11b35d1906a7277a3d64afe34224133b44327328",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "c9aa889b035fca4598ae985a0f0c76ebbb547ad2",
              "lessThan": "d1324b41dabd26787559efaeb430643c627c1eb0",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "c9aa889b035fca4598ae985a0f0c76ebbb547ad2",
              "lessThan": "393d687131d8aa8c7e4de2cb494438e145d20fc2",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "39db562b3fedb93978a7e42dd216b306740959f8",
              "versionType": "git",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "5.15.111",
              "lessThan": "5.16",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "vendor": "Linux",
          "product": "Linux",
          "defaultStatus": "affected",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/md/raid10.c"
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "5.17",
              "status": "affected"
            },
            {
              "version": "0",
              "lessThan": "5.17",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.1.191",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.1.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.6.160",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.6.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.12.111",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.12.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "6.18.53",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.1.5",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "7.1.*",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "unaffected"
            },
            {
              "version": "7.2",
              "lessThanOrEqual": "*",
              "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix",
              "status": "unaffected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "type": "Secondary",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "3.1",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
          "baseScore": 7.5,
          "baseSeverity": "HIGH",
          "attackVector": "NETWORK",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "scope": "UNCHANGED",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "NONE",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "exploitabilityScore": 3.9,
        "impactScore": 3.6
      }
    ],
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "timestamp": "2026-10-16T18:50:00.249923Z",
          "id": "CVE-2026-72438",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "none"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "yes"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "partial"
            }
          ],
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "version": "2.0.3"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/11b35d1906a7277a3d64afe34224133b44327328",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
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      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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    {
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      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1324b41dabd26787559efaeb430643c627c1eb0",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
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    {
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fea33968592559a55a3f5a96a6386bebcaf988a8",
      "source": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"
    }
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}