CVE-2026-46040: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnoti

Q: How do I fix CVE-2026-46040?

linux kernel: upgrade to 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.86, 6.18.27, 7.0.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Q: Is CVE-2026-46040 being exploited?

CVE-2026-46040 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

Q: What does CVE-2026-46040 affect?

CVE-2026-46040 affects linux kernel. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). 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

Q: How urgent is CVE-2026-46040?

Priority 25/100. On your watchlist

Routine

MEDIUM 5.5WATCHLISTUPGRADE

CVE-2026-46040 is a medium-severity flaw (CVSS 5.5) affecting linux kernel. Below: why it ranks where it does, which versions are affected, what to do, and the exact commands.

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 w

Why this priority

On your watchlist

A fixed release or distro patch exists.

Risk facts

CVSS score	5.5 (Medium)
Attack vector	Local
Attack complexity	Low
Privileges needed	Low
User interaction	None
EPSS exploit chance	0.1% (top 98%)
CISA exploited list	No
Published	2026-05-27
Last modified	2026-10-15

Publisher (CNA): kernel.org · Vendor: linux

Last updated 2026-10-15 · Sources: CVE Program, NVD, CISA KEV, EPSS and vendor advisories · How we score

Am I affected?

Timeline

2026-05-27 14:17 UTCPublished CVE record published
2026-10-15 02:19 UTCUpdated Record last modified

linux linux kernel UPGRADE

Affected: >= 4.11 and < 5.10.258 · >= 5.11 and < 5.15.209 · >= 5.16 and < 6.1.175 · >= 6.2 and < 6.6.140 · >= 6.7 and < 6.12.86 · >= 6.13 and < 6.18.27 · >= 6.19 and < 7.0.4

Fixed in: 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.86, 6.18.27, 7.0.4

Safe to downgrade to: no unaffected older release

Check your OS release

cat /etc/os-release; uname -r

Debian / Ubuntu

sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

RHEL / Amazon Linux / Fedora

sudo dnf upgrade --refresh

Windows

Install the latest cumulative update from Windows Update

If no patch exists yet

OS downgrades are not safe. Apply the vendor mitigation from the advisory and restrict exposure.

Verify at the official source NVD · CVE Program · Report a problem with this page
Scores and fixes here are computed automatically from those and other public sources. Confirm with the vendor advisory before changing production systems.

Quick answers

How do I fix CVE-2026-46040?

linux kernel: upgrade to 5.10.258, 5.15.209, 6.1.175, 6.6.140, 6.12.86, 6.18.27, 7.0.4. Exact commands for each OS are on this page.

Is CVE-2026-46040 being exploited?

CVE-2026-46040 is not on the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities list at the time of the last update. Check again, as this can change.

What does CVE-2026-46040 affect?

CVE-2026-46040 affects linux kernel. Severity is medium (CVSS 5.5). 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

How urgent is CVE-2026-46040?

Priority 25/100. On your watchlist

Software pages

Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Related CVEs

CVE-2026-98141 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ntfs: propagate reparse index insertion f
CVE-2026-64239 HIGH 7.8 UPGRADE In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm/damon/sysfs-schemes: delete tried regi
CVE-2026-64236 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: i2c: davinci: fix division by zero on mis
CVE-2026-98142 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/cirrus-qemu: Validate BAR0 size durin
CVE-2026-98147 MEDIUM 5.5 UPGRADE In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: printk: Don't WARN on kthread_run failure

References

← Back to latest CVEs