CVE-2026-72440

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: md/raid1: fix writes_pending and barrier reference leaks on write failures raid1_make_request() acquires a writes_pending reference with md_write_start() before calling raid1_write_request(). Several failure paths in raid1_write_request() complete the bio and return without reaching the normal write completion path, causing the corresponding md_write_end() to be skipped. Make raid1_write_request() return a status indicating whether the write request was successfully queued. This allows raid1_make_request() to call md_write_end() when raid1_write_request() fails. Additionally, if wait_blocked_rdev() fails after wait_barrier() succeeds, the associated barrier reference is not released. Call allow_barrier() before returning from that path to keep the barrier accounting balanced.

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

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 5.17 and later are affected. Fixed in 7.1.5, 7.2-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 5.17
Fixed in
✓ 7.1.5 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-72440?

    CVE-2026-72440 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 5.17 onward and has been patched in 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. CVE-2026-72440 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-72440?

    Yes. CVE-2026-72440 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.1.5 and 7.2-rc1. If you are running Linux kernel 5.17 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-72440 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-72440 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.