CVE-2026-99080: Linux kernel · fs: Free any excess xarray nodes in clear_inode()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 28 Oct 2026, 01:31 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 23 Oct 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
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 fix is available that calls xa_destroy() in clear_inode() to free excess xarray nodes. Users should apply the updated Linux kernel versions that include this patch to remediate the issue.
Description
A memory leak vulnerability in the Linux kernel's clear_inode() function has been resolved. The issue involved a hard-to-hit leak of xarray nodes, which could be triggered by certain operations such as madvise. The fix involves freeing excess xarray nodes by calling xa_destroy(), which also cycles the i_pages lock.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-99080 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-99080 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/21f51434c47d8628b62275ae6c6ad6b573abcd02 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/43f830e2bb84b22ca824b20bb861d823ecb520bd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/50cff3f112d64db6e5f57355f79bc837db8fe132 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ee3f011250104129893d8e9599147e457d4d7280 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1c966eb6ed5e190c90a56c5bdaa69967de39f21 (opens in a new tab)