CVE-2026-64370: posix-cpu-timers: Fix pid refcount leak in do_cpu_nanosleep() error path

Severity: medium (CVSS 5.5 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.1% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-07-25 · updated 2026-10-15

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: posix-cpu-timers: Fix pid refcount leak in do_cpu_nanosleep() error path In do_cpu_nanosleep(), posix_cpu_timer_create() takes a pid reference via get_pid() and stores it in timer.it.cpu.pid. If the subsequent posix_cpu_timer_set() call fails, the function returns immediately without calling posix_cpu_timer_del() to release the pid reference, causing a leak. Fix it by calling posix_cpu_timer_del() before the unlock-and-return on the error path, consistent with the other exit paths in the same function.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 2.6.12.1 before 5.10.261; from 5.11 before 5.15.212; from 5.16 before 6.1.178; from 6.2 before 6.6.145; from 6.7 before 6.12.96; from 6.13 before 6.18.39 — fixed in 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.12.96, 6.18.39, 6.6.145

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.10.261, 5.15.212, 6.1.178, 6.12.96. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

Get alerted when CVE-2026-64370 or the next vulnerability affects your stack