CVE-2026-2261
blocklistd(8) socket leak
Due to a programming error, blocklistd leaks a socket descriptor for each adverse event report it receives.
Once a certain number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to run the helper script: a child process is forked, but this child dereferences a null pointer and crashes before it is able to exec the helper. At this point, blocklistd still records adverse events but is unable to block new addresses or unblock addresses whose database entries have expired.
Once a second, much higher number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to receive new adverse event reports.
An attacker may take advantage of this by triggering a large number of adverse events from sacrificial IP addresses to effectively disable blocklistd before launching an attack.
Even in the absence of attacks or probes by would-be attackers, adverse events will occur regularly in the course of normal operations, and blocklistd will gradually run out file descriptors and become ineffective.
The accumulation of open sockets may have knock-on effects on other parts of the system, resulting in a general slowdown until blocklistd is restarted.
Attack profile
How easy it is to exploit
- Attack vector
- Network
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges needed
- None
- User interaction
- None
What an attacker can affect
- Confidentiality
- None
- Integrity
- None
- Availability
- High
Exploit likelihood
What each source reports
NVD Score used
7.5
Due to a programming error, blocklistd leaks a socket descriptor for each adverse event report it receives.
Once a certain number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to run the helper script: a child process is forked, but this child dereferences a null pointer and crashes before it is able to exec the helper. At this point, blocklistd still records adverse events but is unable to block new addresses or unblock addresses whose database entries have expired.
Once a second, much higher number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to receive new adverse event reports.
An attacker may take advantage of this by triggering a large number of adverse events from sacrificial IP addresses to effectively disable blocklistd before launching an attack.
Even in the absence of attacks or probes by would-be attackers, adverse events will occur regularly in the course of normal operations, and blocklistd will gradually run out file descriptors and become ineffective.
The accumulation of open sockets may have knock-on effects on other parts of the system, resulting in a general slowdown until blocklistd is restarted.
- Record
CVE-2026-2261- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-772
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
CVE List
7.5
blocklistd(8) socket leak
Due to a programming error, blocklistd leaks a socket descriptor for each adverse event report it receives.
Once a certain number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to run the helper script: a child process is forked, but this child dereferences a null pointer and crashes before it is able to exec the helper. At this point, blocklistd still records adverse events but is unable to block new addresses or unblock addresses whose database entries have expired.
Once a second, much higher number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to receive new adverse event reports.
An attacker may take advantage of this by triggering a large number of adverse events from sacrificial IP addresses to effectively disable blocklistd before launching an attack.
Even in the absence of attacks or probes by would-be attackers, adverse events will occur regularly in the course of normal operations, and blocklistd will gradually run out file descriptors and become ineffective.
The accumulation of open sockets may have knock-on effects on other parts of the system, resulting in a general slowdown until blocklistd is restarted.
- Record
CVE-2026-2261- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-772
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
EUVDEUVD-2026-10332
7.5
Due to a programming error, blocklistd leaks a socket descriptor for each adverse event report it receives.
Once a certain number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to run the helper script: a child process is forked, but this child dereferences a null pointer and crashes before it is able to exec the helper. At this point, blocklistd still records adverse events but is unable to block new addresses or unblock addresses whose database entries have expired.
Once a second, much higher number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to receive new adverse event reports.
An attacker may take advantage of this by triggering a large number of adverse events from sacrificial IP addresses to effectively disable blocklistd before launching an attack.
Even in the absence of attacks or probes by would-be attackers, adverse events will occur regularly in the course of normal operations, and blocklistd will gradually run out file descriptors and become ineffective.
The accumulation of open sockets may have knock-on effects on other parts of the system, resulting in a general slowdown until blocklistd is restarted.
- Record
EUVD-2026-10332- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Updated
- 2026-11-02
GitHub AdvisoriesGHSA-5cm6-5xpq-xrwv
7.5
Due to a programming error, blocklistd leaks a socket descriptor for each adverse event report it...
Due to a programming error, blocklistd leaks a socket descriptor for each adverse event report it receives.
Once a certain number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to run the helper script: a child process is forked, but this child dereferences a null pointer and crashes before it is able to exec the helper. At this point, blocklistd still records adverse events but is unable to block new addresses or unblock addresses whose database entries have expired.
Once a second, much higher number of leaked sockets is reached, blocklistd becomes unable to receive new adverse event reports.
An attacker may take advantage of this by triggering a large number of adverse events from sacrificial IP addresses to effectively disable blocklistd before launching an attack.
Even in the absence of attacks or probes by would-be attackers, adverse events will occur regularly in the course of normal operations, and blocklistd will gradually run out file descriptors and become ineffective.
The accumulation of open sockets may have knock-on effects on other parts of the system, resulting in a general slowdown until blocklistd is restarted.
- Record
GHSA-5cm6-5xpq-xrwv- CVSS 3.1
- 7.5 High
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H - Weakness
- CWE-772
- Updated
- 2026-11-02
Affected products
History
| Recorded | Changed | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| first indexed | CVE List, EUVD, GitHub Advisories, NVD |
Dates are when Every CVE recorded each change. Upstream dates may differ.
In short
CVE-2026-2261 is a high vulnerability (CVSS 7.5) in Freebsd, published March 9, 2026. No source lists public exploit code. EPSS puts the chance of exploitation in the next 30 days at 0.40%, the 35th percentile. No source names a fixed version.