CVE-2026-72004: Linux kernel · wifi: mac80211: fix memory leak in ieee80211_register_hw()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124~20.04.1 : update Linux kernel when convenient.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 14:05 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.2% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 12% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 5.15.0-1117.124~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1123.132~20.04.1, 5.15.0-1122.131~20.04.1 +41
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 15 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A patch is available and should be applied to affected Linux kernel versions to fix the memory leak in ieee80211_register_hw(). Users should update to the fixed kernel releases provided by their distribution. No additional mitigation is required as the issue is resolved by the official fix.
Description
A memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's mac80211 wifi subsystem was fixed in the ieee80211_register_hw() function. The issue occurs if kmemdup() fails while copying supported band structures, causing the error path to skip proper cleanup of the rate control structure, leading to a memory leak. The bug was identified through experimental analysis tools and manual inspection confirmed its presence in kernel version 7.1-rc7. No runtime testing was performed due to lack of suitable hardware. A patch is available to address this issue.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-72004 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/08b71bd92317f99642b842cfc0d30200868162fc (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/3d8b9b290421c3cd505fcd2f551f143f8142786a (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/45e9ac538cdff7bce656d731114a64eda85af0d7 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/95fc02722edde02946d0d475221f2b2054d3d8ba (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a02b52fe54f7b5107aefa1ce28c2f69749c57616 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7584f261e64fe14e45bdf70f343e16c1ee3a037 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/bdc0b8bfdc142439d6708b072e8159eb515ee7b0 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f01eec75fd372961550b928902f3a2c11fca1daf (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-72004 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-72004 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/95fc02722edde02946d0d475221f2b2054d3d8ba (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8876-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8878-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8879-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8877-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8875-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8888-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8889-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8887-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-8888-2 (opens in a new tab)