CVE-2026-43068
MediumIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: avoid allocate block from corrupted group in ext4_mb_find_by_goal() There's issue as follows: ... EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): Delayed block allocation failed for inode 206 at logical offset 0 with max blocks 1 with error 117 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): This should not happen!! Data will be lost EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): Delayed block allocation failed for inode 206 at logical offset 0 with max blocks 1 with error 117 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): This should not happen!! Data will be lost EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): Delayed block allocation failed for inode 206 at logical offset 0 with max blocks 1 with error 117 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): This should not happen!! Data will be lost EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): Delayed block allocation failed for inode 206 at logical offset 0 with max blocks 1 with error 117 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): This should not happen!! Data will be lost EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): Delayed block allocation failed for inode 2243 at logical offset 0 with max blocks 1 with error 117 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): This should not happen!! Data will be lost EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): Delayed block allocation failed for inode 2239 at logical offset 0 with max blocks 1 with error 117 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): This should not happen!! Data will be lost EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): error count since last fsck: 1 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): initial error at time 1765597433: ext4_mb_generate_buddy:760 EXT4-fs (mmcblk0p1): last error at time 1765597433: ext4_mb_generate_buddy:760 ... According to the log analysis, blocks are always requested from the corrupted block group. This may happen as follows: ext4_mb_find_by_goal ext4_mb_load_buddy ext4_mb_load_buddy_gfp ext4_mb_init_cache ext4_read_block_bitmap_nowait ext4_wait_block_bitmap ext4_validate_block_bitmap if (!grp || EXT4_MB_GRP_BBITMAP_CORRUPT(grp)) return -EFSCORRUPTED; // There's no logs. if (err) return err; // Will return error ext4_lock_group(ac->ac_sb, group); if (unlikely(EXT4_MB_GRP_BBITMAP_CORRUPT(e4b->bd_info))) // Unreachable goto out; After commit 9008a58e5dce ("ext4: make the bitmap read routines return real error codes") merged, Commit 163a203ddb36 ("ext4: mark block group as corrupt on block bitmap error") is no real solution for allocating blocks from corrupted block groups. This is because if 'EXT4_MB_GRP_BBITMAP_CORRUPT(e4b->bd_info)' is true, then 'ext4_mb_load_buddy()' may return an error. This means that the block allocation will fail. Therefore, check block group if corrupted when ext4_mb_load_buddy() returns error.
CVSS 3.1 score
5.5
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-401CVE-2026-43068 is a Memory Leak vulnerability
What is Memory Leak?
The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. Learn more on MITRE CWE
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
3.12
and later are affected. Fixed in
5.10.253,
5.15.203,
6.1.168,
6.6.131,
6.12.80,
6.18.21,
6.19.11,
7.0
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-43068 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b84571c886719823d537f05f4f07cad6357c4b7
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1895f7904be71c48f1e6f338b28f24dabd6b8aeb
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1c0d7c4cde38a887c6d74e0c89ddb25226943c78
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-43068?
CVE-2026-43068 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10 , classified as a Memory Leak flaw (CWE-401) . It affects Linux kernel versions from 3.12 onward and has been patched in 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168 and others. CVE-2026-43068 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2026-43068?
CVE-2026-43068 has a CVSS score of 5.5 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-43068?
Yes — CVE-2026-43068 has been patched. Fixed versions include 5.10.253, 5.15.203, 6.1.168 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 3.12 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-43068 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-43068 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is Memory Leak (CWE-401)?
The product does not release memory after use, causing gradual resource exhaustion. View CWE-401 on MITRE CWE →