VulnerabilityPublished 25 Jun 2026Updated 6 Nov 2026

CVE-2026-53261: Linux kernel · devlink: Release nested relation on devlink free

Affects Linux kernelSource CVE Database V5

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Not known to be exploited · fixed in a9137286884703113b1c9e6403bd6d7d97b14754 : update Linux kernel when convenient.

Data as of 6 Nov 2026, 16:49 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 a9137286884703113b1c9e6403bd6d7d97b14754, 11324d52b0c63f4f202b35793c6507a575e9a689, 3522b21fd7e1863d0734537737bd59f1b90d0190 +1

Exploitation evidence

Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Jun 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 Linux kernel to a9137286884703113b1c9e6403bd6d7d97b14754, 11324d52b0c63f4f202b35793c6507a575e9a689, 3522b21fd7e1863d0734537737bd59f1b90d0190 or 927f96861f939c0b517d13ed27bf4fabbfc1cfb3.

Affected software

Product	Affected	Fixed in
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < a9137286884703113b1c9e6403bd6d7d97b14754	Fixed in a9137286884703113b1c9e6403bd6d7d97b14754
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < 11324d52b0c63f4f202b35793c6507a575e9a689	Fixed in 11324d52b0c63f4f202b35793c6507a575e9a689
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < 3522b21fd7e1863d0734537737bd59f1b90d0190	Fixed in 3522b21fd7e1863d0734537737bd59f1b90d0190
LinuxLinux	Affected ≥ c137743bce02b18c1537d4681aa515f7b80bf0a8, < 927f96861f939c0b517d13ed27bf4fabbfc1cfb3	Fixed in 927f96861f939c0b517d13ed27bf4fabbfc1cfb3
LinuxLinux	Affected =6.7	Fixed in–

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: devlink: Release nested relation on devlink free devlink relation state is normally released from devl_unregister(), which calls devlink_rel_put(). This misses devlink instances that get a nested relation before registration and then fail probe before devl_register() is reached. That flow can happen for SFs. The child devlink gets linked to its parent before registration, then a later probe error calls devlink_free() directly. Since the instance was never registered, devl_unregister() is not called and devlink->rel is leaked. Release any pending relation from devlink_free() as well. The registered path is unchanged because devl_unregister() already clears devlink->rel before devlink_free() runs.

References

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