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Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2026-53121

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2026-06-24
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 6.18.33 / 7.0.10 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click 8 weeks old

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: amd-pstate: Fix memory leak in amd_pstate_epp_cpu_init() On failure to set the epp, the function amd_pstate_epp_cpu_init() returns with an error code without freeing the cpudata object that was allocated at the beginning of the function. Ensure that the cpudata object is freed before returning from the function. This memory leak was discovered by Claude Opus 4.6 with the aid of Chris Mason's AI review-prompts (https://github.com/masoncl/review-prompts/tree/main/kernel).

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis · moderate confidence

Memory leak in Linux kernel's amd-pstate driver. The amd_pstate_epp_cpu_init() function allocates a cpudata object at the start but fails to free it when the function returns an error due to failure in setting the Energy Performance Preference (EPP), leading to resource exhaustion over repeated failures.

MitigationApply the kernel patch that adds proper cleanup to free the cpudata object on the error path before returning from amd_pstate_epp_cpu_init(). This is a code-level fix requiring kernel development expertise.

Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 6.14, < 6.18.33>= 6.19, < 7.0.10

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.

dbcve checks

Work through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.

  1. Check kernel version
    Run 'uname -r' or 'cat /proc/version' to get the running kernel version
    Affected if The kernel version falls within >= 6.14 and < 6.18.33, or >= 6.19 and < 7.0.10
  2. Verify amd-pstate driver is in use
    Check /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/scaling_driver for 'amd-pstate' or 'amd-pstate-epp'
    Affected if The scaling_driver shows 'amd-pstate' or 'amd-pstate-epp', indicating the vulnerable driver is active
  3. Confirm EPP (Energy Performance Preference) is configured
    Check /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/energy_performance_preference or /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/cpufreq/energy_performance_available_preferences
    Affected if EPP is readable or writable, meaning the code path that allocates cpudata and sets EPP is being exercised
  4. Monitor for memory leak symptoms
    Observe kernel memory usage over time using 'slabtop' or checking 'kmalloc-256' cache growth in /proc/slabinfo, particularly after repeated CPU hotplug or EPP changes
    Affected if Memory usage grows consistently without reclaim, especially in kernel slab caches associated with cpudata allocations

A system is affected if it runs a vulnerable kernel version (6.14 to 6.18.32 or 6.19 to 7.0.9), uses the amd-pstate driver, and triggers EPP configuration, leading to unmapped cpudata objects on error paths.

Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.

Check your environment

Paste your version and any relevant configuration and it will be compared against the affected criteria above. Do not include secrets or credentials.

AI-assisted, checked against the advisory. Informational, not a guarantee.

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 6.18.33 / 7.0.10 or later
Fixed in 6.18.337.0.10
Interim mitigation

Apply the kernel patch that adds proper cleanup to free the cpudata object on the error path before returning from amd_pstate_epp_cpu_init(). This is a code-level fix requiring kernel development expertise.

Recommended fix Moderate confidence

Linux Kernel >= 6.18.33 or >= 7.0.10 (depending on which branch is in use)

  1. 1. Check current kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. 2. If running kernel >= 6.14 and < 6.18.33, plan upgrade to kernel version >= 6.18.33
  3. 3. If running kernel >= 6.19 and < 7.0.10, plan upgrade to kernel version >= 7.0.10
  4. 4. For systems using distribution kernels, upgrade via distribution package manager (e.g., apt update && apt upgrade on Debian/Ubuntu, yum/dnf update on RHEL/Fedora)
  5. 5. For custom/vanilla kernels, obtain and install a patched kernel from kernel.org or distribution sources
  6. 6. Reboot into the upgraded kernel
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require rebooting and could introduce regressions in driver compatibility; ensure backup and test in staging if possible

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

Fix this in Linux Kernel Scoped from the published advisory
  • Consultation1.0 h
  • Implementation2.0 h
  • Testing4.0 h
  • Review / QA2.0 h
9.0 hours of engineering $1,520
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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

Contributed

Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-53121 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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What this is

A place for practitioners to share what actually worked: a mitigation you’ve tested, a configuration change, a version- or environment-specific caveat, or a link to a verified patch. The most useful notes rise to the top as peers upvote them, so the signal stays high.

What belongs here
  • Verified mitigations, workarounds, and config changes
  • Version or environment caveats, and links to real fixes
  • No weaponised exploit code, or anything meant to cause harm
  • No spam, self-promotion, credentials, or personal data