CVE-2026-90077

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: fix a resource leak in copy_net_ns() error handling path Currently, preinit_net() does two things: (1) call ns_common_init() which might fail (2) initialize resources which does not fail However, preinit_net() is returning early when (1) fails, and copy_net_ns() is jumping to the dec_ucounts: label. As a result, resources allocated by net_alloc() are leaking. We need to call key_remove_domain() and net_passive_dec() in order to release resources allocated by net_alloc(). We cannot simply jump to the put_userns: label when preinit_net() failed, for (2) is not yet done. But we can reorder (1) and (2), for there is no dependency between (1) and (2). Therefore, this patch decouples (1) from preinit_net() and changes preinit_net() back to a void function, and calls ns_common_init() after preinit_net() succeeded. Then, we can jump to immediately after ns_common_free() of the put_userns: label.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-09-17
Last modified 2026-09-17
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.18 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.18.52, 7.2.6, 7.3-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.18
Fixed in
✓ 6.18.52 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.6 7.2.x ✓ 7.3-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-90077?

    CVE-2026-90077 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.18 onward and has been patched in 6.18.52, 7.2.6 and 7.3-rc1. CVE-2026-90077 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-90077?

    Yes. CVE-2026-90077 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.52, 7.2.6 and 7.3-rc1. If you are running Linux kernel 6.18 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-90077 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-90077 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.