CVE-2026-23145

A memory leak flaw was found in the Linux kernel's ext4 filesystem. In the ext4_xattr_inode_update_ref() function, the error handling path fails to release the buffer head reference (iloc.bh). This causes a buffer head leak on each error occurrence, which over time can lead to memory exhaustion and system instability.

This flaw was discovered through code review and affects ext4 filesystems when extended attribute inode reference updates fail. The memory leak accumulates only during error conditions in xattr operations, limiting its practical impact under normal usage. Systems using ext4 with heavy extended attribute usage may be more susceptible.

The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.