nfsd: fix nfsd_file reference leak in nfsd4_add_rdaccess_to_wrdeleg()
Published Jan 13, 2026
7.5
HIGHCVSS 3.1
EPSS 0.21%
Description
nfsd4_add_rdaccess_to_wrdeleg() unconditionally overwrites fp->fi_fds[O_RDONLY] with a newly acquired nfsd_file. However, if the client already has a SHARE_ACCESS_READ open from a previous OPEN operation, this action overwrites the existing pointer without releasing its reference, orphaning the previous reference.
Additionally, the function originally stored the same nfsd_file pointer in both fp->fi_fds[O_RDONLY] and fp->fi_rdeleg_file with only a single reference. When put_deleg_file() runs, it clears fi_rdeleg_file and calls nfs4_file_put_access() to release the file.
However, nfs4_file_put_access() only releases fi_fds[O_RDONLY] when the fi_access[O_RDONLY] counter drops to zero. If another READ open exists on the file, the counter remains elevated and the nfsd_file reference from the delegation is never released. This potentially causes open conflicts on that file.
Then, on server shutdown, these leaks cause __nfsd_file_cache_purge() to encounter files with an elevated reference count that cannot be cleaned up, ultimately triggering a BUG() in kmem_cache_destroy() because there are still nfsd_file objects allocated in that cache.
Affected products
-
- Version StatusaffectedConstraints
- Version StatusaffectedConstraints
- Version
-
- Version 6.17StatusaffectedConstraints-
- Version 0StatusunaffectedConstraints<6.17
- Version 6.18.4StatusunaffectedConstraints<=6.18.*
- Version 6.19StatusunaffectedConstraints<=*
- Version
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
- ≥ 6.17.1 · < 6.18.4
- 6.17
- 6.19
- 6.19
- 6.19
- 6.19
- 6.19
- 6.19
- 6.19
- 6.19
No data.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
kernel
Fix deferred
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
kernel
Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
kernel-rt
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
kernel
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
kernel-rt
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
kernel
Not affected
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
kernel-rt
Not affected
| Product | Package | State | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | kernel | Fix deferred | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | kernel | Out of support scope | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | kernel-rt | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | kernel | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | kernel-rt | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | kernel | Not affected | n/a |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | kernel-rt | Not affected | n/a |
No package ranges for this CVE.
Remediation
Red Hat statement
This affects NFS servers serving NFSv4 clients using delegations. The leaks accumulate during normal operation with delegation upgrades. Server shutdown fails with a kernel BUG due to unfreed slab objects. Non-NFS systems are unaffected.
Metrics
No CVSS v4.0 score for this CVE.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
1 other source (CVE.org) ▾
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
No CVSS v3.0 score for this CVE.
No CVSS v2.0 score for this CVE.
This CVE is not in the KEV list.
No CISA SSVC assessment for this CVE yet.
Estimated probability of exploitation in the wild in the next 30 days (FIRST EPSS). As of Oct 1, 2026.
Score over time
Jan–Oct 2026- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Percentile over time
- EPSS v4
- EPSS v5
Table of values (3 key points)
Flat stretches are collapsed; showing up to 120 newest points.
| Date | Score | Percentile | Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 | 0.21% (0.00212) | 10.40th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jun 15, 2026 | 0.10% (0.00100) | 1.07th | v5 (v2026.06.15) |
| Jan 14, 2026 | 0.02% (0.00018) | 4.07th | v4 (v2025.03.14) |
References (7)
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2025-71090 Vendor Advisory
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2429060 Issue Tracking
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8072e34e1387d03102b788677d491e2bcceef6f5 Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c07dc84ed67c5a182273171639bacbbb87c12175 Patch
- https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026011341-CVE-2025-71090-6e3a@gregkh/T
- https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-71090
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-71090
Change history (0)
No recorded changes yet.