xen/gntdev: fix error handling in ioctl
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xen/gntdev: fix error handling in ioctl When gntdev_ioctl_map_grant_ref() fails to copy the operation result back to userspace after successfully adding the mapping to the list, the error path returns -EFAULT without releasing the reference acquired by gntdev_alloc_map(). The mapping remains in priv->maps with a refcount of 1, causing a memory leak and a dangling list entry. Additionally, gntdev_add_map() may modify map->index to avoid overlap with existing mappings. Therefore, the index returned to userspace must be obtained after gntdev_add_map() completes. Fix this by holding the mutex across gntdev_add_map(), retrieving the correct index, and copy_to_user(). If copy_to_user() fails, remove the mapping from the list and release the reference while still holding the lock. Fix these issues by properly handling all error cases.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.39 and later | 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.39 and later Fixed in 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2 Patch available CNA
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 5 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-72138
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-2fp3-4qp4-w8m7
- 2026-11-06 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/52dc40ef0cfee6ae89b7524967e73f0ba37906d7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1dd9cb98fe228e017fff9efb33862ff38c741b65
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6df926130aee6cab9b5d2e5b7862e49ccac348dc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/311011f8cc206c5af2877b03e3f627ee1b8fe024
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18a693733f7ad004e1ab0466693121ca70cd95dd
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/16d3ccdabb8dee9be2cdcd6d3f9a125572ec0454
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6883269a323609f68f6faa903f8f8ff3d191cec8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/45ca1afe2fd14c04e37227e79d3f8455831d8408
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Sources
- CVE-2026-72138 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-72138 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-2fp3-4qp4-w8m7 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-72138 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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