CVE-2026-80811
io_uring/cmd: fix iovec leak when the async cmd is not recycled
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring/cmd: fix iovec leak when the async cmd is not recycled An io_async_cmd carries an iovec array in ->vec.iovec, allocated when the vec has to grow and kept across recycling through ctx->cmd_cache. On two paths nothing frees it and io_clean_op()'s kfree(req->async_data) drops the io_async_cmd without it. io_req_uring_cleanup() clears the async data flags only when io_alloc_cache_put() succeeds, and the cache holds IO_ALLOC_CACHE_MAX == 128 entries, so once it is full the put fails and the vec is left behind. An NVMe passthrough workload gets there without doing anything unusual: nvme_uring_cmd_io() returns -EIOCBQUEUED, so the io_async_cmd stays attached for the lifetime of the command and the live object count tracks the queue depth. Above 128 the puts start failing. ->cleanup is the last chance to free an inherited vec, since io_req_uring_cleanup() returns early for an io-wq issued command and is not called at all for one completed without ever being issued. But io_clean_op() calls ->cleanup only if REQ_F_NEED_CLEANUP is set, and for uring_cmd that happens only where the vec has to grow, so a command reusing a large enough cached vec never sets it. io_rw_alloc_async() and io_msg_alloc_async() flag an inherited vec for exactly this reason; io_uring_cmd_prep() does not. Flag an inherited vec in io_uring_cmd_prep(), and free the vec when the cache put fails, as io_req_rw_cleanup() does. The leak is invisible under KASAN, where io_alloc_cache_vec_kasan() frees the vec unconditionally.
INFO
Published Date :
Sept. 4, 2026, 4:18 p.m.
Last Modified :
Sept. 4, 2026, 4:18 p.m.
Remotely Exploit :
No
Source :
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Solution
- Flag inherited vec in io_uring_cmd_prep.
- Free vec when cache put fails.
- Ensure io_clean_op frees io_async_cmd.
- Update Linux kernel to the latest version.
References to Advisories, Solutions, and Tools
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CVE-2026-80811.
CWE - Common Weakness Enumeration
While CVE identifies
specific instances of vulnerabilities, CWE categorizes the common flaws or
weaknesses that can lead to vulnerabilities. CVE-2026-80811 is
associated with the following CWEs:
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification
(CAPEC)
stores attack patterns, which are descriptions of the common attributes and
approaches employed by adversaries to exploit the CVE-2026-80811
weaknesses.
We scan GitHub repositories to detect new proof-of-concept exploits. Following list is a collection of public exploits and proof-of-concepts, which have been published on GitHub (sorted by the most recently updated).
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The following table lists the changes that have been made to the
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Vulnerability history details can be useful for understanding the evolution of a vulnerability, and for identifying the most recent changes that may impact the vulnerability's severity, exploitability, or other characteristics.
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New CVE Received by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
Sep. 04, 2026
Action Type Old Value New Value Added Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: io_uring/cmd: fix iovec leak when the async cmd is not recycled An io_async_cmd carries an iovec array in ->vec.iovec, allocated when the vec has to grow and kept across recycling through ctx->cmd_cache. On two paths nothing frees it and io_clean_op()'s kfree(req->async_data) drops the io_async_cmd without it. io_req_uring_cleanup() clears the async data flags only when io_alloc_cache_put() succeeds, and the cache holds IO_ALLOC_CACHE_MAX == 128 entries, so once it is full the put fails and the vec is left behind. An NVMe passthrough workload gets there without doing anything unusual: nvme_uring_cmd_io() returns -EIOCBQUEUED, so the io_async_cmd stays attached for the lifetime of the command and the live object count tracks the queue depth. Above 128 the puts start failing. ->cleanup is the last chance to free an inherited vec, since io_req_uring_cleanup() returns early for an io-wq issued command and is not called at all for one completed without ever being issued. But io_clean_op() calls ->cleanup only if REQ_F_NEED_CLEANUP is set, and for uring_cmd that happens only where the vec has to grow, so a command reusing a large enough cached vec never sets it. io_rw_alloc_async() and io_msg_alloc_async() flag an inherited vec for exactly this reason; io_uring_cmd_prep() does not. Flag an inherited vec in io_uring_cmd_prep(), and free the vec when the cache put fails, as io_req_rw_cleanup() does. The leak is invisible under KASAN, where io_alloc_cache_vec_kasan() frees the vec unconditionally. Added Affected New affected value received. <a href="https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/blob/main/cves/2026/80xxx/CVE-2026-80811.json">CVE-2026-80811</a> Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7068d3587a64a24943a7c9e232976da2c9e0e303 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b290de4d16d75b6c1ef42025b47f5d94eb1ec09f Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b6a768aa975b9ca81b92f028bdd975d1f8237894 Added Reference https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/bb34ae5da3365699d53a756f4c96b6ea9f8ba0c1