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CVE-2026-2261

blocklistd(8) socket leak

7.5 High

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

0.40%Up 0.4 points since Mar 10, 2026
90%50%10%1%

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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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 HighCVSS: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

History
RecordedChangedSources
first indexedCVE 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.

References

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