A sequence of functions in the Linux kernel’s SUNRPC GSS subsystem allocates memory when decoding XDR data but does not free that memory when subsequent decoding steps fail, resulting in a classic memory‑leak (CWE-401). The leak can grow unboundedly as the kernel repeatedly requests XDR buffers that are never reclaimed, potentially exhausting system memory and causing a denial of service at the kernel level.

The flaw resides in the Linux kernel’s auth_gss XDR decoding logic. No specific kernel versions were listed, so any Linux system running a kernel that includes this logic before the applied patch is at risk.

The vulnerability is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog and EPSS data is unavailable, indicating no documented exploitation to date. Because the affected functions are invoked during SUNRPC authentication, an attacker with network access who can send crafted RPC requests may trigger the error paths repeatedly. Repeated failures would lead to progressive kernel memory consumption, potentially exhausting available memory and causing a denial of service on the affected host or in a cluster of kernels.