---
id: CVE-2024-26993
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  fs: sysfs: Fix reference leak in sysfs_break_active_protection()

  The sysfs_break_active_protection() routine has an obvious reference
  leak in its error path
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  fs: sysfs: Fix reference leak in sysfs_break_active_protection()

  The sysfs_break_active_protection() routine has an obvious reference
  leak in its error path.  If the c…
severity: medium
cvss: 5.5
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 3.16.62, < 3.17'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 3.18.121, < 3.19'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.4.154, < 4.5'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.9.125, < 4.10'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.14.68, < 4.15'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.18.6, < 4.19'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 4.19, < 5.15.157'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.88'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.29'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.8.8'
  - linux_kernel = 6.9
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.8.8
published: '2024-05-01'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T01:17:35.637'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-26993'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43f00210cb257bcb0387e8caeb4b46375d67f30c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/57baab0f376bec8f54b0fe6beb8f77a57c228063'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d43e072285e81b0b63cee7189b3357c7768a43b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/84bd4c2ae9c3d0a7d3a5c032ea7efff17af17e17'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a4c99b57d43bab45225ba92d574a8683f9edc8e4'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a90bca2228c0646fc29a72689d308e5fe03e6d78'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac107356aabc362aaeb77463e814fc067a5d3957'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f28bba37fe244889b81bb5c508d3f6e5c6e342c5'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43f00210cb257bcb0387e8caeb4b46375d67f30c'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/57baab0f376bec8f54b0fe6beb8f77a57c228063'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d43e072285e81b0b63cee7189b3357c7768a43b'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/84bd4c2ae9c3d0a7d3a5c032ea7efff17af17e17'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a4c99b57d43bab45225ba92d574a8683f9edc8e4'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a90bca2228c0646fc29a72689d308e5fe03e6d78'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac107356aabc362aaeb77463e814fc067a5d3957'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f28bba37fe244889b81bb5c508d3f6e5c6e342c5'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00017.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2024/06/msg00020.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/4EZ6PJW7VOZ224TD7N4JZNU6KV32ZJ53/
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/DAMSOZXJEPUOXW33WZYWCVAY7Z5S7OOY/
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: >-
      https://lists.fedoraproject.org/archives/list/package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org/message/GCBZZEC7L7KTWWAS2NLJK6SO3IZIL4WW/
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
  - url: 'https://cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-613116.html'
    label: 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00267
epssPercentile: 0.18757
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T03:30:12.667Z'
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: partial
  timestamp: '2024-05-01T13:37:12.333218Z'
---

## Overview

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

fs: sysfs: Fix reference leak in sysfs_break_active_protection()

The sysfs_break_active_protection() routine has an obvious reference
leak in its error path.  If the call to kernfs_find_and_get() fails then
kn will be NULL, so the companion sysfs_unbreak_active_protection()
routine won't get called (and would only cause an access violation by
trying to dereference kn->parent if it was called).  As a result, the
reference to kobj acquired at the start of the function will never be
released.

Fix the leak by adding an explicit kobject_put() call when kn is NULL.

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 3.16.62, < 3.17`
- `linux_kernel >= 3.18.121, < 3.19`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.4.154, < 4.5`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.9.125, < 4.10`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.14.68, < 4.15`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.18.6, < 4.19`
- `linux_kernel >= 4.19, < 5.15.157`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.88`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.29`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.8.8`
- `linux_kernel = 6.9`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.8.8`