CVE-2026-97606: fs: autofs: fix memory leak in autofs_fill_super()
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
fs: autofs: fix memory leak in autofsfillsuper()
In autofsfillsuper(), we create a new inode using autofsnewino(), however, if we fail to create rootinode, (that is, rootinode failure path), we return -ENOMEM without freeing the new inode(ino) that we created causing a memory leak. Fix this by adding autofsfreeino() to free the inode we created in rootinode failure path before returning ENOMEM.
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
Under what condition does the leak occur?
The leak occurs when autofs_fill_super() successfully creates a new inode with autofs_new_ino() but later fails to create root_inode. The failure path returns -ENOMEM without freeing the previously created inode.
What is the impact if the affected failure path is reached?
A newly created autofs inode remains allocated, causing a memory leak. The provided information does not quantify the amount of memory leaked or describe further impact.
How is the issue fixed?
The fix calls autofs_free_ino() in the root_inode failure path before returning -ENOMEM, releasing the inode created earlier in autofs_fill_super().