How severe is CVE-2019-9857?

CVE-2019-9857 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.

Is CVE-2019-9857 being actively exploited?

It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

What products are affected by CVE-2019-9857?

CVE-2019-9857 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.

How do I fix CVE-2019-9857?

Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.

When was CVE-2019-9857 published?

CVE-2019-9857 was published on 2019-03-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

CVE-2019-9857

CVE-2019-9857 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-401.

Key facts

Severity: Medium (CVSS 3.x base score 5.5)
CVSS v2: 4.9
EPSS exploit prediction: 0% (34th percentile)
Actively exploited: Not listed in CISA KEV
Weakness: CWE-401
Affected product: Linux Linux Kernel
Published: 2019-03-21
Last modified: 2026-06-17

Description

In the Linux kernel through 5.0.2, the function inotify_update_existing_watch() in fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c neglects to call fsnotify_put_mark() with IN_MASK_CREATE after fsnotify_find_mark(), which will cause a memory leak (aka refcount leak). Finally, this will cause a denial of service.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2019-9857?: In the Linux kernel through 5.0.2, the function inotify_update_existing_watch() in fs/notify/inotify/inotify_user.c neglects to call fsnotify_put_mark() with IN_MASK_CREATE after fsnotify_find_mark(), which will cause a memory leak (aka refcount leak). Finally, this will cause a denial of service.
How severe is CVE-2019-9857?: CVE-2019-9857 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2019-9857 being actively exploited?: It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (34th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2019-9857?: CVE-2019-9857 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2019-9857?: Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
When was CVE-2019-9857 published?: CVE-2019-9857 was published on 2019-03-21 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*

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