Improper Update of Reference Count Affecting kernel6.18-tools-devel package, versions <1:6.18.41-94.142.amzn2023


Severity

Recommended
high

Based on Amazon Linux security rating.

Threat Intelligence

EPSS
0.21% (12th percentile)

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  • Snyk IDSNYK-AMZN2023-KERNEL618TOOLSDEVEL-19467870
  • published1 Sept 2026
  • disclosed15 Aug 2026

Introduced: 15 Aug 2026

NewCVE-2026-72321  (opens in a new tab)
CWE-911  (opens in a new tab)

How to fix?

Upgrade Amazon-Linux:2023 kernel6.18-tools-devel to version 1:6.18.41-94.142.amzn2023 or higher.
This issue was patched in ALAS2023-2026-2071.

NVD Description

Note: Versions mentioned in the description apply only to the upstream kernel6.18-tools-devel package and not the kernel6.18-tools-devel package as distributed by Amazon-Linux. See How to fix? for Amazon-Linux:2023 relevant fixed versions and status.

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

ipv4: igmp: Fix potential memory leaks in igmp_mod_timer() and igmp_stop_timer()

When a timer is deleted and not re-armed in igmp_mod_timer(), or stopped in igmp_stop_timer(), the code currently decrements the reference counter of the multicast list entry @im using refcount_dec(&im->refcnt).

However, both functions can be called from the RCU reader path:

  • igmp_mod_timer() via igmp_heard_query() -> for_each_pmc_rcu()
  • igmp_stop_timer() via igmp_rcv() -> igmp_heard_report()

If the group im was concurrently removed from the list by ip_mc_dec_group(), its reference count might have already been decremented to 1.

In this case, timer_delete() succeeds, and refcount_dec() decrements the refcount from 1 to 0. Since refcount_dec() does not free the object when it hits 0 (unlike ip_ma_put()), the im structure is leaked.

Fix this by using ip_ma_put(im) instead of refcount_dec(&im->refcnt), and deferring the put until after the spinlock is released.

CVSS Base Scores

version 3.1