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Response snapshot Nov 6, 2026, 19:41 UTC

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VulnerabilityCVE-2026-46121

Linux kernel: mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock Patch series "mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: fix use-after-free for [memcg_]path".

At a glance

Exploited
Not known
Severity
7.8 High (CVSS 3.1)
Chance of exploitation
0.1% in the next 30 days
Sources
1 source

What to do

Check the vendor advisory for affected versions and fixes.

Read NVD CVE-2026-46121 (opens a new tab)

What happened

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock

Patch series "mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: fix use-after-free for [memcg_]path".

Reads of 'memcg_path' and 'path' files in DAMON sysfs interface could race with their writes, results in use-after-free. Fix those.

Continue reading

This patch (of 2):

damon_sysfs_scheme_filter->mmecg_path can be read and written by users, via DAMON sysfs memcg_path file. It can also be indirectly read, for the parameters {on,off}line committing to DAMON. The reads for parameters committing are protected by damon_sysfs_lock to avoid the sysfs files being destroyed while any of the parameters are being read.

But the user-driven direct reads and writes are not protected by any lock, while the write is deallocating the memcg_path-pointing buffer. As a result, the readers could read the already freed buffer (user-after-free). Note that the user-reads don't race when the same open file is used by the writer, due to kernfs's open file locking.

Nonetheless, doing the reads and writes with separate open files would be common. Fix it by protecting both the user-direct reads and writes with damon_sysfs_lock.

Scores and how they were measured

CVSS base severity

7.8

Version 3.1As of

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

Measurement source (opens a new tab)

How bad it is if exploited. Not a prediction of exploitation or proof you are exposed.

EPSS probability

0.1%

Scored Percentile 2.2%

Model and measurement source (opens a new tab)

A model's estimate of exploitation in the next 30 days, not certainty or your own risk.

Related technology

Sources

  1. Primary source

    NVD CVE-2026-46121 (opens a new tab)

    NVD record: description, CVSS (the CNA score is preferred), affected products, and publication date. Not evidence of exploitation.

    Published Checked

  2. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  3. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  4. Primary source

    NVD CVE API 2.0 (opens a new tab)

    The NVD API page that supplied this CVE record.

    Published Date not suppliedChecked

  5. Primary source

    FIRST measured EPSS score (opens a new tab)

    Measured EPSS probability and percentile for CVE-2026-46121, scored 2026-11-06. This is a model estimate, not proof of exposure.

    Published Checked

Cite this record

For factual claims, cite the primary sources above; cite KEVWire for its compilation, dates, and classifications.

APA

KEVWire. (2026, November 6). Linux kernel: mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock (CVE-2026-46121). https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-46121

MLA

"Linux kernel: mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock (CVE-2026-46121)." KEVWire, 6 Nov. 2026, kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-46121.

Chicago

KEVWire. "Linux kernel: mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock (CVE-2026-46121)." Last modified November 6, 2026. https://kevwire.com/record/CVE-2026-46121.

Evidence summary (plain text)

Linux kernel: mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock (May 28, 2026).
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: protect memcg_path kfree() with damon_sysfs_lock

Patch series "mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: fix use-after-free for [memcg_]path".

Reads of 'memcg_path' and 'path' files in DAMON sysfs interface could race
with their writes, results in use-after-free.  Fix those.

This patch (of 2):

damon_sysfs_scheme_filter->mmecg_path can be read and written by users,
via DAMON sysfs memcg_path file.  It can also be indirectly read, for the
parameters {on,off}line committing to DAMON.
CVSS 7.8 (version 3.1; evidence as of Nov 6, 2026; https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46121).
EPSS 0.1% for the following 30 days, scored Nov 6, 2026 (https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-46121&date=2026-11-06).
Sources:
NVD CVE-2026-46121: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46121
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-06T17:06:05.906Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-06T18:35:59.598Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-06T16:31:13.932Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-06T18:05:57.615Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
NVD CVE API 2.0: https://services.nvd.nist.gov/rest/json/cves/2.0?lastModStartDate=2026-11-06T15:50:58.372Z&lastModEndDate=2026-11-06T17:30:57.197Z&resultsPerPage=500&startIndex=0
FIRST measured EPSS score: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-46121&date=2026-11-06
Record ID: CVE-2026-46121.
Record origin: Ingested record.
AI evidence: Not assessed.
Known exploitation: Not assessed.
Zero-day status: Not assessed. KEV membership alone does not establish zero-day status.
About this data

This record was ingested from a data source. Retrieved: Nov 6, 2026, 19:36 UTC. Ingestion is not an independent editorial investigation.

NVD status: Undergoing Analysis. Publication in the NVD is not evidence of exploitation.

A CISA KEV listing documents known exploitation, not necessarily a zero-day; absence from the catalog does not prove a vulnerability has never been exploited.

Technology tags indicate possible relevance, not verified exposure. Confirm the affected product, version, and configuration against your own inventory; KEVWire does not scan your systems.

A personal reading checklist on this device, not verified remediation.

Record JSON

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Record details

Record detail