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NVD / CVE Program· CNA Linux

CVE-2026-46040: inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails

MediumCVSS 5.5 · v3.1—No exploit Fix available

Noroxi assessment

Priority: Monitor (action score 22/100)

  • The sources we track (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, Metasploit, Nuclei, GitHub) show no public exploit code or exploitation in the wild.
  • Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days: 0.12% (FIRST EPSS).
  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it. A low-privileged account is enough. No user action is required. No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.
  • Fixed version: Linux Linux 10edf7e0ffdc7faa18e2244b17722c1b882b8273, 3ab58cf42c46bf2366d2f55ae5c59299d5e178b7, 3ad9ccea1b25435f6179b57aa891960beb7ce8f9; azl3 kernel 6.6.139.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.141.1-1.

Low priority for now. Upgrade to Linux Linux 10edf7e0ffdc7faa18e2244b17722c1b882b8273, 3ab58cf42c46bf2366d2f55ae5c59299d5e178b7, 3ad9ccea1b25435f6179b57aa891960beb7ce8f9; azl3 kernel 6.6.139.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.0 6.6.141.1-1 or later.

Generated automatically from the record's data: CVSS (NVD and CNA), CISA KEV and SSVC, FIRST EPSS, exploit sources, fixed versions. How we calculate it

Primary sources: NVD · CVE.org · FIRST EPSS

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails When fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(), the error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call dec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches(). This leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active. Prior to commit 1cce1eea0aff ("inotify: Convert to using per-namespace limits"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked() succeeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved inc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the corresponding rollback. Add the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path.

Published
May 27, 2026
Updated
Nov 10, 2026
EPSS
0.1% · 2th percentile
CWE
—

Report tools

JSON

Action score

22

Monitor

Low priority for now.

CVSS
22 / 40 · 5.5 / 10
CISA KEV
0 / 30 · Not listed
EPSS
0 / 30 · 0.1%

CISA SSVC decision

Exploitation
none
Automatable
no
Technical impact
partial

Vulnrichment: CISA's decision-tree inputs.

Get told when this record changes

  • Not in KEV: no record of exploitation in the wild
  • No public exploit code on record
  • A fix has been released

If any of these changes, we'll tell you in the daily email digest.

Follow CVE-2026-46040

When you'll hear from us

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  • when exploit code appears or is weaponized
  • when the record is updated (including a fixed version)
  • when EPSS rises 20 points in a week

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Noroxi analysis

What does it mean in your environment?

The assessment above is generated automatically from the record's data; it doesn't know your environment. Our team verifies on your systems whether this vulnerability is actually exploitable and which mitigation is enough.

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Affected systems

Is your version affected?

Pick the product and type the version you run. It's compared with this record's version ranges in your browser; the version isn't sent anywhere.

VendorProduct
linuxlinux kernel

Versions reported by the vendor

Affected version ranges reported by the assigning authority (Linux). Independent of NVD's CPE analysis and usually ahead of it.

  • Linux Linux

    • 4.11affected
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before 3ab58cf42c46bf2366d2f55ae5c59299d5e178b7affected · git
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before 10edf7e0ffdc7faa18e2244b17722c1b882b8273affected · git
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before 3ad9ccea1b25435f6179b57aa891960beb7ce8f9affected · git
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before 8bcc1cd237ab5ccfdd102869fa031c541943cf40affected · git
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before 73ddc8518a32baff6bc17afda4ee1ebae5b4ed12affected · git
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before fdaa42ca370d056428e5e171247c8fdce8dff36aaffected · git
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before 9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306daffected · git
    • 1cce1eea0aff51201753fcaca421df825b0813b6 and later · before 6a320935fa4293e9e599ec9f85dc9eb3be7029f8affected · git
    • before 4.11not affected · semver
Affected versions · NVD (7)

NVD version ranges (for catalog products). Add the product to your stack with a version and matching uses these.

  • linux linux kernel4.11 and later · before 5.10.258
  • linux linux kernel5.11 and later · before 5.15.209
  • linux linux kernel5.16 and later · before 6.1.175
  • linux linux kernel6.2 and later · before 6.6.140
  • linux linux kernel6.7 and later · before 6.12.86
  • linux linux kernel6.13 and later · before 6.18.27
  • linux linux kernel6.19 and later · before 7.0.4

Package-level exposure

OSV and GitHub Advisory data: ecosystem, package and range. SBOM matching uses this table.

EcosystemPackageAffected rangeFix
Debian:12linuxbefore 6.1.176-16.1.176-1
Debian:13linuxbefore 6.12.86-16.12.86-1
Debian:14linuxbefore 7.0.4-17.0.4-1

Same product

linux: all records

Other highest-scoring records for the same primary product.

  • CVE-2026-31431crypto: algif_aead - Revert to operating out-of-placeKEV
    90Now
  • CVE-2022-0847A flaw was found in the way the "flags" member of the new pipe buffer structure was lacking proper initialization in copy_page_to_iter_pipe…KEV
    89Now
  • CVE-2021-22555Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACEKEV
    85Now

Published before and after this one in the same product

  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-46037May 27, 2026 · ipv4: icmp: validate reply type before using icmp_pointers
    32Monitor
  • ← EarlierCVE-2026-46038May 27, 2026 · net: qrtr: ns: Free the node during ctrl_cmd_bye()
    22Monitor
  • Later →CVE-2026-46043May 27, 2026 · RDMA/rxe: Validate pad and ICRC before payload_size() in rxe_rcv
    36Monitor

Remediation

Which version to upgrade to

Fix versions compiled from the vendor, package registries and Microsoft. Verify the vendor's note before upgrading.

Product / packageFixed versionSource
Linux Linux10edf7e0ffdc7faa18e2244b17722c1b882b8273Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux3ab58cf42c46bf2366d2f55ae5c59299d5e178b7Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux3ad9ccea1b25435f6179b57aa891960beb7ce8f9Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux6a320935fa4293e9e599ec9f85dc9eb3be7029f8Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux73ddc8518a32baff6bc17afda4ee1ebae5b4ed12Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux8bcc1cd237ab5ccfdd102869fa031c541943cf40Vendor (CNA)
Linux Linux9e48844f708eb48bae4e79cb21edc097c966306dVendor (CNA)
Linux Linuxfdaa42ca370d056428e5e171247c8fdce8dff36aVendor (CNA)
azl3 kernel 6.6.139.1-1 on Azure Linux 3.06.6.141.1-1 · CBL-Mariner ReleasesMicrosoft (MSRC)
debian:linux6.1.176-1 · Debian:12Package registry (OSV)

Exploit status

No known public exploit

No public exploit has been observed yet. That doesn't mean you're safe, only that the bar is a little higher.

Research context

For pentesters and researchers: attack profile, score disagreement, timeline, patch commits, credits, variant and chain candidates, bug bounty scope. All derived from existing data; no exploit code.

Timeline

From publication to today: proof of concept, Metasploit module, CISA KEV and fix record. Dates are as reported by the sources.

No dated events beyond publication.

Not on record for this CVE: EPSS history · patch commit or PR link · researcher credit · variant or chain candidate · public bounty program.

Technical details

Attack conditions

  • Someone with local access to the system can trigger it.
  • A low-privileged account is enough.
  • No user action is required.
  • No special conditions are required; it is repeatable.

If successful

Confidentiality
none
Integrity
none
Availability
high · the service can be disrupted
Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality impact
None
Integrity impact
None
Availability impact
High

Weakness class (CWE)

—

CVSS vector

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

nvd-primary

Attack context

MITRE CAPEC attack patterns and ATT&CK techniques for this weakness class (CWE). A starting point for detection rules and threat hunting.

MITRE has no CAPEC/ATT&CK mapping for this CWE.

References

Show all references (10 more)

Vendor advisories and official records. Exploit/PoC links are deliberately left out.

All records