CVE-2026-72438
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.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
5.15.111,
5.17
and later are affected. Fixed in
7.1.5,
7.2-rc1
and their respective stable series.
References
2 totalFrequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-72438?
CVE-2026-72438 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.15.111 onward and has been patched in 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. CVE-2026-72438 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-72438?
Yes. CVE-2026-72438 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. If you are running Linux kernel 5.15.111 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-72438 actively exploited?
No. CVE-2026-72438 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.