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Vulnerabilities

Vulnerability · CVE-2026-53181

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/vmci: fix sk_ack_backlog leak on failed handshake When vmci_transport_recv_connecting_server(…

Published Jun 25, 2026 · catalog updated Oct 15, 2026 · linux kernel

Check if you run it

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-53181. EPSS is 0.13%. Act only if a listed version of linux kernel is installed.

Gaps on this record

  • No vendor fix or required action is stored. Compare the linked advisory before you change production.
Severity
Medium5.5
Known exploitation
Not in CISA/VulnCheck KEV
EPSS
0.13%
Remediation
Advisory link
Affected products
cpe linux/linux kernel

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/vmci: fix sk_ack_backlog leak on failed handshake When vmci_transport_recv_connecting_server() returns an error, vmci_transport_recv_listen() calls vsock_remove_pending() but never calls sk_acceptq_removed(). This leaves sk_ack_backlog incremented permanently. Repeated handshake failures (malformed packets, queue pair alloc failure, event subscribe failure) cause sk_ack_backlog to climb toward sk_max_ack_backlog. Once it reaches the limit the listener permanently refuses all new connections with -ECONNREFUSED, a silent denial of service requiring a process restart to recover. The two existing sk_acceptq_removed() calls in af_vsock.c do not cover this path: line 764 checks vsock_is_pending() which returns false after vsock_remove_pending(), and line 1889 is only reached on successful accept(). Fix by balancing sk_acceptq_added() with sk_acceptq_removed() on the error path.

Are you affected?

Enter the version you run. The result uses only the ranges stored on this record.

The check returns affected, not affected, or incomplete. It does not guess a version that is missing from the record.

  • cpe linux/linux kernel7.1

How to fix CVE-2026-53181

What to do

Three questions, each answered from this record only. Confirm the vendor advisory before you patch.

Should you patch?

No confirmed exploitation is on record for CVE-2026-53181. EPSS is 0.13%. Act only if a listed version of linux kernel is installed.

Which versions are affected?

Compare what you have installed with linux/linux kernel 7.1. Compare the installed version with the linked vendor advisory before you change production.

What should an analyst verify?

CWE-401: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime. EPSS 0.13%. There is no CISA KEV listing. No Exploit-DB or Metasploit reference is linked. Use the source links for the original advisory.

Code

The project this record applies to. Exploit listings stay in References.

Timeline

Detection, updates, and resolution for this record.

  1. Jun 25, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Detected

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/vmci: fix sk_ack_backlog leak on failed handshake When vmci_transport_recv_connecting_server() returns an error, vmci_transport_recv_listen() calls vsock_remove_pending() but never calls sk_acceptq_removed(). This leaves sk_ack_backlog incremented permanently. Repeated handshake failures (malformed packets, queue pair alloc

  2. Oct 15, 2026 · NIST NVD

    Updated

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/vmci: fix sk_ack_backlog leak on failed handshake When vmci_transport_recv_connecting_server() returns an error, vmci_transport_recv_listen() calls vsock_remove_pending() but never calls sk_acceptq_removed(). This leaves sk_ack_backlog incremented permanently. Repeated handshake failures (malformed packets, queue pair alloc

Sources

  • CVE.orgVulnerability recordCVE-2026-53181

    Official CVE identifier

    cve.org
  • FIRST EPSSExploitation probabilityCVE-2026-53181

    30-day exploitation probability 0.1%

    first.org
  • NIST NVDVulnerability recordCVE-2026-53181

    In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: vsock/vmci: fix sk_ack_backlog leak on failed handshake When vmci_transport_recv_connecting_server() returns an error, vmci_transport_recv_listen() calls vsock_remove_pending() but never calls sk_acceptq_remove

    nvd.nist.gov

References

Freshness

Last verified in this catalog Oct 18, 2026. Significant claims (KEV, EPSS, CVSS, affected ranges) come from the source rows above — open the original publisher for the authoritative advisory.