How can memory leaks affect software performance?

Memory leaks can significantly affect software performance by decreasing the overall memory available for the application and the system. When a program allocates memory to store data but fails to release it after use, that memory becomes inaccessible for future operations, even though it is still reserved by the program. As the software continues to run and allocate more memory, the amount of free memory decreases, leading to less memory being available for other processes or tasks.

As a consequence, the system may experience slower performance because it has to work with limited memory resources. Eventually, if memory usage grows unchecked, it can lead to system instability, resource exhaustion, or even application crashes. Managing memory efficiently is critical, and addressing memory leaks is vital to maintaining optimal software performance and preventing adverse effects on the entire system.