CVE-2026-72006

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net/mlx5: free mlx5_st_idx_data on final dealloc Workloads that repeatedly allocate and release mkeys carrying TPH steering-tag hints (e.g. churning RDMA MRs) leak one struct mlx5_st_idx_data per cycle; kmemleak flags it as unreferenced and the kmalloc slab grows over time. When the last reference to an ST table entry is dropped, mlx5_st_dealloc_index() removed the entry from idx_xa but the backing mlx5_st_idx_data allocation was never freed. Free idx_data after the xa_erase() so the lifetime of the bookkeeping struct matches the lifetime of the ST entry it tracks.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-08-15
Last modified 2026-08-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.17 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2-rc4 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.17
Fixed in
✓ 6.18.40 6.18.x ✓ 7.1.5 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc4

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-72006?

    CVE-2026-72006 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.17 onward and has been patched in 6.18.40, 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc4. CVE-2026-72006 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-72006?

    Yes. CVE-2026-72006 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.40, 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc4. If you are running Linux kernel 6.17 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-72006 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-72006 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.