VulnerabilityPublished 27 May 2026Updated 6 Nov 2026

CVE-2026-46046: Linux kernel · ext4: fix missing brelse() in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all()

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · fixed in f072906688933bf47fabbaf63560be03357c8298 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 6 Nov 2026, 16:34 UTC

Severity

Unrated

Rated by Threat Radar · No CVSS score from NVD or the CNA

Thin evidence

One scorer or none

Exploitation: No evidence of active exploitation and no public proof of concept
Automatable: Attackers cannot reliably automate steps 1–4 of the kill chain
Technical impact: Limited control over the software or limited information exposure

CISA SSVC assessment, 2026-11-06.

Patch

Available – fixed in f072906688933bf47fabbaf63560be03357c8298, dd98a5603a212ea9c96c6982ccdbcc748fdb9a56, b706d00206a9e82362a9633efbd8b5775650169b +13

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 27 May 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors

A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 6 Nov 2026.

Disclosed: The CVE record is public on cve.org. Its publication is t = 0.
Detectable: A public nuclei template can find exposed instances, for defenders and attackers alike.
Weaponized: A Metasploit exploit module or Exploit-DB entry exists (Metasploit scanner modules do not count), or CISA SSVC or the CVSS exploit maturity reports a public proof of concept.
Exploited in the wild: CISA KEV lists it, CISA SSVC rates exploitation active, or a source reports attacks.
Observed by OffSeq Mirage: OffSeq Mirage honeypot sensors recorded attack traffic for this CVE, or found exposed hosts without attack traffic.

Moments are spaced evenly, not to scale; a dashed line marks a gap of six months or more. Deltas count from t = 0. Sources that give only a date (CISA KEV, Exploit-DB, or a time of exactly 00:00Z) read “same day” rather than hours. Metasploit modules carry the flaw’s disclosure date, not their release date, and nuclei templates carry no date, so both appear above but not on the timeline.

What to do

Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected >=5.10.237 <5.10.258 >=5.15.181 <5.15.209 >=6.1.135 <6.1.175 >=6.6.88 <6.6.140 >=6.12.24 <6.12.86 >=5.4.293 <5.5 >=6.13.12 <6.14 >=6.14.3 <6.15	Fixed in f072906688933bf47fabbaf63560be03357c8298 dd98a5603a212ea9c96c6982ccdbcc748fdb9a56 b706d00206a9e82362a9633efbd8b5775650169b 097227f1ffe1a85bc3c359f81c71e3d40e06e920 153ab2c52355fbebcae622db8e7b506492c73a29 77d059519382bd66283e6a4e83ee186e87e7708f 6.15 6.14 6.12.86 6.6.140 6.1.175 5.15.209 5.10.258 5.5 1e6b0a69bf2c9c819255c7566e4355536d81d9cf 1bc1107a3a403a6d440673ed6666f7b07ef868a8
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.15	Fixed in–

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix missing brelse() in ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all() The commit c8e008b60492 ("ext4: ignore xattrs past end") introduced a refcount leak in when block_csum is false. ext4_xattr_inode_dec_ref_all() calls ext4_get_inode_loc() to get iloc.bh, but never releases it with brelse().

References

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