In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails
When fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(),
the error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call
dec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches().
This leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the
max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active.
Prior to commit 1cce1eea0aff ("inotify: Convert to using per-namespace
limits"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked()
succeeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved
inc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the
corresponding rollback.
Add the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path.
inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails
When fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(),
the error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call
dec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches().
This leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the
max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active.
Prior to commit 1cce1eea0aff ("inotify: Convert to using per-namespace
limits"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked()
succeeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved
inc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the
corresponding rollback.
Add the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
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| Linux | Linux | affected |
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Configuration 1 [-]
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No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment is a feature of OpenCVE that uses AI to automatically link vendors and products to CVEs. Learn more on GitHub.
| Vendors | Products |
|---|---|
|
Linux
Subscribe
|
Linux Kernel
Subscribe
|
Advisories
| Source | ID | Title |
|---|---|---|
 Debian DLA |
DLA-4664-1 | linux security update |
| Debian DLA |
DLA-4665-1 | linux security update |
| Debian DLA |
DLA-4671-1 | linux-6.1 security update |
 Ubuntu USN |
USN-8488-1 | Linux kernel vulnerabilities |
| Ubuntu USN |
USN-8489-1 | Linux kernel (OEM) vulnerabilities |
| Ubuntu USN |
USN-8488-2 | Linux kernel (Raspberry Pi) vulnerabilities |
| Ubuntu USN |
USN-8507-1 | Linux kernel (NVIDIA) vulnerabilities |
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Tue, 16 Jun 2026 15:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | NVD-CWE-Other |
Mon, 01 Jun 2026 17:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| References |
|
Thu, 28 May 2026 04:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-400 |
Thu, 28 May 2026 00:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-911 | |
| References |
| |
| Metrics |
threat_severity
|
cvssV3_1
|
Wed, 27 May 2026 20:45:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Weaknesses | CWE-400 |
Wed, 27 May 2026 14:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails When fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails in inotify_new_watch(), the error path calls inotify_remove_from_idr() but does not call dec_inotify_watches() to undo the preceding inc_inotify_watches(). This leaks a watch count, and repeated failures can exhaust the max_user_watches limit with -ENOSPC even when no watches are active. Prior to commit 1cce1eea0aff ("inotify: Convert to using per-namespace limits"), the watch count was incremented after fsnotify_add_mark_locked() succeeded, so this path was not affected. The conversion moved inc_inotify_watches() before the mark insertion without adding the corresponding rollback. Add the missing dec_inotify_watches() call in the error path. | |
| Title | inotify: fix watch count leak when fsnotify_add_inode_mark_locked() fails | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-06-14T17:49:57.876Z
Reserved: 2026-05-13T15:03:33.094Z
Link: CVE-2026-46040
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Analyzed
Published: 2026-05-27T14:17:23.387
Modified: 2026-06-17T10:52:56.907
Link: CVE-2026-46040
Redhat
OpenCVE Enrichment
Updated: 2026-06-18T02:15:15Z
Weaknesses