# CVE-2026-45870: SUNRPC: auth_gss: fix memory leaks in XDR decoding error paths

Status: published. Published: 2026-05-27. Updated: 2026-11-06.

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

SUNRPC: auth_gss: fix memory leaks in XDR decoding error paths

The gssx_dec_ctx(), gssx_dec_status(), and gssx_dec_name()
functions allocate memory via gssx_dec_buffer(), which calls
kmemdup(). When a subsequent decode operation fails, these
functions return immediately without freeing previously
allocated buffers, causing memory leaks.

The leak in gssx_dec_ctx() is particularly relevant because
the caller (gssp_accept_sec_context_upcall) initializes several
buffer length fields to non-zero values, resulting in memory
allocation:

    struct gssx_ctx rctxh = {
        .exported_context_token.len = GSSX_max_output_handle_sz,
        .mech.len = GSS_OID_MAX_LEN,
        .src_name.display_name.len = GSSX_max_princ_sz,
        .targ_name.display_name.len = GSSX_max_princ_sz
    };

If, for example, gssx_dec_name() succeeds for src_name but
fails for targ_name, the memory allocated for
exported_context_token, mech, and src_name.display_name
remains unreferenced and cannot be reclaimed.

Add error handling with goto-based cleanup to free any
previously allocated buffers before returning an error.

## Remediation

No remediation reported in collected sources

## Affected products and versions

- Linux / Linux: ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < c81431b1b9fbd21e9a5a9211b5517b7295d18e6a (affected, git); ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < caf7eff432e91a9eba1c79fa545c2f54be15d62b (affected, git); ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < 64303b92d94c0c7845a273acd8d84b796d6f1db7 (affected, git); ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < df10f23defff22c8d55fe6db74f6e4ce927145bf (affected, git); ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < b4af3806846778799cd4ab0766dc18341e777264 (affected, git); ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < d79b9097a6a2b91471b40755f1225364be5d85ff (affected, git); ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < 3b56eb90feb8a3709417f5624f3871847d42bcb1 (affected, git); ≥ 1d658336b05f8697d6445834f8867f8ad5e4f735; < 3e6397b056335cc56ef0e9da36c95946a19f5118 (affected, git). Source: CNA: Linux
- Linux / Linux: 3.10 (affected); ≥ 0; < 3.10 (unaffected, semver); ≥ 5.10.252; ≤ 5.10.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 5.15.202; ≤ 5.15.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.1.165; ≤ 6.1.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.6.128; ≤ 6.6.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.12.75; ≤ 6.12.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.18.14; ≤ 6.18.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 6.19.4; ≤ 6.19.* (unaffected, semver); ≥ 7.0; ≤ * (unaffected, original_commit_for_fix). Source: CNA: Linux

## Severity and prioritization

- CISA KEV: No listing in collected sources

- EPSS: 0.16% as of 2026-11-06; percentile 5.27%

- SSVC: exploitation none; automatable no; technical impact partial; source ADP: CISA-ADP

- Weaknesses: Not reported

## Exploit evidence

No exploit evidence in collected sources. This is not proof of no exploitation.

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c81431b1b9fbd21e9a5a9211b5517b7295d18e6a (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/caf7eff432e91a9eba1c79fa545c2f54be15d62b (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64303b92d94c0c7845a273acd8d84b796d6f1db7 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/df10f23defff22c8d55fe6db74f6e4ce927145bf (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b4af3806846778799cd4ab0766dc18341e777264 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d79b9097a6a2b91471b40755f1225364be5d85ff (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3b56eb90feb8a3709417f5624f3871847d42bcb1 (CNA: Linux)

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3e6397b056335cc56ef0e9da36c95946a19f5118 (CNA: Linux)

## Provenance

- CNA: Linux: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-45870; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated 2026-11-06

- FIRST EPSS: https://api.first.org/data/v1/epss?cve=CVE-2026-45870; retrieved 2026-11-06; source updated Not reported

Revision: d005fca29ca48dd870ba9acdecd49e59b3074baa5091a988e3770fc141540d8a

Canonical: https://y2.dev/cve/CVE-2026-45870

## Agent and API access

Public CVE pages, Markdown, and JSON are free to read without an account or API key.

- Public catalog: https://y2.dev/cve/index.json. Follow nextCursor with the same search, filters, sort, and limit (1–100). A null cursor marks the end.

- WebMCP: search_cve_disclosures, get_cve_disclosure, get_cve_page_markdown, get_y2_cve_access. Available in compatible browsers.

- Cyber API: https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves and https://api.y2.dev/api/v2/cyber/cves/{cveId}.

- Y2 Pro or Elite: create a workspace API key with the intel:cyber scope and send Authorization: Bearer <Y2_API_KEY>. Setup: https://y2.dev/docs/api/create-key.

- x402: Pay per request without an account or API key. Omit Authorization, read the HTTP 402 PAYMENT-REQUIRED challenge, validate its current requirements, and retry with PAYMENT-SIGNATURE through an authorized payment client. These browser tools never make payments. Guide: https://y2.dev/docs/api/x402.

- OpenAPI: https://y2.dev/api/openapi.yaml. Agent access metadata: https://y2.dev/cve/agent.json.

Collected public records only. Check source status for coverage and freshness.