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Linux Kernel EUVDEUVD-2026-103731

| CVE-2026-98491 HIGH
2026-10-18 Linux GHSA-xf3m-wp4c-wrgw
7.8
CVSS 3.1 · Vendor: Linux
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Attack ChainAIDerived

Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata – not a confirmed exploit chain

  1. Access
    Gain local access to host running OVS conntrack
  2. Delivery
    Drive traffic cloned by OVS datapath
  3. Exploit
    Commit shared unconfirmed ct entry twice in one zone
  4. Execution
    Second commit breaks expectation-list pointer
  5. Persist
    Trigger use-after-free on destruction path
  6. Impact
    Kernel crash or code execution

Vulnerability Assessment

Exploitation Conditions

Requires a host running the Linux kernel Open vSwitch (openvswitch) module with a conntrack datapath where packets carrying an unconfirmed ct entry get cloned and then committed more than once into the SAME conntrack zone with differing extension sets (e.g. one clone wiring up helper/expectation extensions and another adding a labels extension). Limiting factors: the attack vector is local (AV:L) and needs low privileges per the input vector (PR:L), so authentication/local access is required; it is not remotely reachable against a default configuration, and the maintainer explicitly states there is no practical/normal network pipeline that commits both clones unmodified into the same zone - making the required configuration non-default and unusual, which substantially narrows realistic exploitation to hosts with Open vSwitch conntrack in use.

Impact

Signals point to a genuine but low-urgency memory-safety bug, not a drop-everything emergency. The input CVSS 3.1 vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N, C:H/I:H/A:H, 7.8) reflects a local, low-privilege use-after-free in the Open vSwitch conntrack path with high impact to the host kernel. Exploitation signals, however, are weak: EPSS is 0.21% (11th percentile), the CVE is NOT on CISA KEV (no confirmed active exploitation), and no PoC or exploit reference appears in the input - so the status is no public exploit identified at time of analysis. The vendor priority label is 'this_week', consistent with a locally-exploitable kernel UAF that warrants scheduled patching rather than emergency response. One important caveat: the vendor rates AC:L, but the maintainer's own description says the condition requires an skb with a shared unconfirmed ct entry being committed twice into the same zone with different extension sets, and explicitly notes 'there should be no practical network pipeline where committing both clones without modifications into the same zone is needed' - i.e. the trigger is an unusual, essentially non-production configuration, which argues the real-world attack complexity is higher than AC:L suggests. Net: a real local DoS/privilege-escalation candidate on hosts actually running OVS conntrack, but low probability of opportunistic exploitation.

Exploit ScenarioDerived

A local attacker (or a container/tenant able to drive traffic through a host's Open vSwitch datapath configured with conntrack commit actions) crafts packets that are cloned and committed into the same conntrack zone twice, so the second commit adds a label extension that breaks the expectation-list pointer set up by the first. The dangling pointer causes a use-after-free on the conntrack destruction path, which can crash the kernel or potentially be leveraged for code execution. No public exploit code was identified in the provided data, and the required double-commit-into-same-zone pipeline is not a normal production configuration.

This Week Schedule remediation this week. Why: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9).
Patch available 0.2% exploitation probability (EPSS)

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AnalysisAIv1 – Oct 24, 2026

A use-after-free in the Linux kernel's Open vSwitch conntrack handling lets a local user with low privileges corrupt kernel memory when a packet carrying an unconfirmed conntrack entry is cloned and both clones are then committed into the same conntrack zone with differing extension sets - one clone wiring helper/expectation extensions and the other adding a labels extension, which breaks the expectation-list pointer and is later dereferenced on the destruction path. Kernel releases across the 5.10, 5.15, 6.1, 6.6, 6.12, 6.18 and 7.2 branches are affected, with fixes published as 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55 and 7.2.9 (mainline 7.3-rc5). The maintainer notes that no practical network pipeline normally commits both clones unmodified into the same zone, so the required configuration is unusual, and no public exploit has been identified at time of analysis; EPSS is 0.21% (11th percentile) and the issue is not in CISA KEV.

RemediationAI

Vendor-released patch: upgrade to Linux 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55 or 7.2.9 depending on your branch (mainline 7.3-rc5), applying the corresponding stable commit listed at https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e0fa5ea434b7e8467ef3adc64e3858b1ca2a642d, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/37e3c878b183a115f9a114067f9ef3b408ad27fb, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/707c2dc77891a874f4e8c52c285a511079164ec8, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/de41ee24f77b0fc45397db3e277cae2adbd43dfe, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/55e5256adf3940e71802e2f749cacf81518726b0, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2829ae5459ddb5fce526b2e84697edf6c0c3cef, https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/457e0df1b5711fbeb7ba1b6bfd826f5ef30e7e55 and https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/26b2bd70d22457556e2fa01cbf1192cb1a94d619; the fix simply resets a shared unconfirmed ct entry on commit, which upstream states has no effect on known use cases. Where patching must wait, exposure is limited to hosts that load openvswitch and issue conntrack commit actions, so unload the openvswitch module or remove conntrack commit actions from the datapath flows on systems that do not need OVS stateful filtering/NAT - the trade-off is loss of OVS-managed stateful firewalling and NAT. Because the vector requires local low-privileged access (AV:L/PR:L), also restrict which local users, containers or workloads can create or program OVS datapath flows, accepting that this limits legitimate network administration. Note that the independently assessed vector carries AC:H, reflecting the unusual same-zone double-commit of cloned unconfirmed entries needed to trigger the flaw.

Affected VersionsENISA

Linux patch: 5.15.222
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <26b2bd70d22457556e2fa01cbf1192cb1a94d619
Linux patch: 6.6.158
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <457e0df1b5711fbeb7ba1b6bfd826f5ef30e7e55
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <707c2dc77891a874f4e8c52c285a511079164ec8
Linux patch: 0
Linux patch: 7.3-rc5
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <de41ee24f77b0fc45397db3e277cae2adbd43dfe
Linux patch: 7.2.9
Linux patch: 6.18.55
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <55e5256adf3940e71802e2f749cacf81518726b0
Linux 4.3
Linux patch: 6.12.112
Linux patch: 5.10.271
Linux patch: 6.1.189
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <37e3c878b183a115f9a114067f9ef3b408ad27fb
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <e0fa5ea434b7e8467ef3adc64e3858b1ca2a642d
Linux cae3a2627520c3795b54533c5328b77af3405dbe <e2829ae5459ddb5fce526b2e84697edf6c0c3cef

Affected Packages

euvd linux no fix

Source: OSV (Open Source Vulnerabilities)

Affects your stack

Affects 1 package in euvd

Checking this CVE against your own stacks and servers is part of the Basic plan and up.

Technical ContextAI · show details

The affected code is the conntrack action of the Open vSwitch datapath in the Linux kernel (net/openvswitch), which integrates with the netfilter conntrack subsystem to provide stateful filtering and NAT for OVS-managed traffic. An skb can carry an *unconfirmed* conntrack entry; when such an skb is cloned, both copies reference the same ct entry. If the first clone commits, its conntrack helper runs and wires an extension pointer into the expectation list, but the confirmation can be lost, leaving the entry unconfirmed again; when the second clone then commits - for example to attach a labels extension - the extension chain is modified underneath the shared entry, breaking the pointer held in the expectation list and producing a use-after-free during later destruction of the entry. The upstream fix does not attempt to support this sharing pattern: on commit, an skb carrying a shared unconfirmed ct entry has that entry reset, which the maintainer states does not affect any known use case. The vulnerability class is memory-safety (use-after-free); no CWE identifier is assigned in the input, and the specific extension-set ordering described in the commit is the only trigger mechanism stated in the available sources. Note the discrepancy between the published CVSS vector (AV:L/AC:L/PR:L) and the independent assessment (AV:L/AC:H/PR:L), which reflects the non-default, hard-to-arrange conntrack sharing required.

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Severity by source

Vendor (Linux) PRIMARY 7.8 HIGH
AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
vuln.today AI 7.0 HIGH

Local OVS conntrack path (AV:L); AC:H because the double-commit-into-same-zone trigger is an unusual non-production pipeline; PR:L for local traffic access; kernel UAF gives full C/I/A impact.

3.1 AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
4.0 AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:L/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).

CVSS VectorVendor: Linux

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
High
Integrity
High
Availability
High

Lifecycle Timeline

4
CVSS changed
Oct 24, 2026 - 14:22 NVD
7.8 (HIGH)
Patch available
Oct 18, 2026 - 16:02 EUVD
CVE Published
Oct 18, 2026 - 15:16 cve.org
HIGH 7.8
CVE Published
Oct 18, 2026 - 15:16 cve.org
UNKNOWN (no severity yet)

DescriptionCVE.org

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: openvswitch: conntrack: avoid modifying shared unconfirmed ct entry

In a case where skb with an unconfirmed ct entry gets cloned, we may end up committing both but with different sets of extensions.

The series of events:

  1. The first clone wants to commit and runs the helpers wiring up

the extension pointer into the expectation list.

  1. Then it looses the confirmation keeping the entry unconfirmed.
  2. Second clone now wants to commit labels and adds the new extension

for that breaking the pointer in the expectation list causing UAF on the destruction path later.

While this is possible to trigger, there should be no practical network pipeline where committing both clones without modifications into the same zone is needed. So, let's just reset the entry in case for some reason we got an skb with a shared one during commit. This doesn't affect any known use cases, but avoids any potential problems with sharing and modification of the unconfirmed ct entry.

The fixes tag points to the introduction of helpers, since that's the main UAF trigger for the sharing.

Executive ViewAI

Why It Matters

A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's Open vSwitch conntrack handling (CVE-2026-98491) could allow a local attacker with low privileges to corrupt kernel memory, potentially leading to system crashes or privilege escalation. While the required configuration is unusual and no public exploit exists, organizations relying on OVS for networking in virtualized or container environments should prioritize patching to mitigate risk to their infrastructure.

Business Impact: Medium
Compensating Controls

Apply vendor patch.

Threat Intelligence Overview

EPSS Score
0.2%
Top 89% exploitable
Prevalence
Ubiquitous
Linux kernel runs everywhere, though the vulnerable OVS conntrack path is narrower
Data Quality
4 sources
Confidence: Medium

How this decision was reached

The engine reads each signal below and applies a fixed list of rules from top to bottom. The first rule that matches sets the recommended action – like a statement, every line is shown.

SignalValue
Severity HIGH
CISA KEV No
Public POC No
EPSS 0.2%
Patch available Yes
Active threat No
Deciding rule
HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9)
What every action level means
Emergency Immediate action required. Criteria: CRITICAL + in CISA KEV (actively exploited) without patch, OR CRITICAL + EPSS > 30% without patch, OR CRITICAL + active threat signals without patch.
Act Now Prioritize within 24-48h. Criteria: in KEV with patch available, OR CRITICAL + public POC, OR HIGH + EPSS > 10%, OR CRITICAL + active threat, OR any CRITICAL severity.
This Week Schedule remediation this week. Criteria: HIGH severity (CVSS 7.0-8.9). Patch within normal change window.
This Month Plan within 30 days. Criteria: MEDIUM severity (CVSS 4.0-6.9), lower exploitation probability. Include in regular patch cycle.
Monitor Track and reassess. Criteria: LOW severity (CVSS 0.1-3.9), minimal exploitation risk. No immediate action needed.

SSVC AssessmentENISA

SSVC Decision· derived
Defer
Exploitation· derived
None
System Exposure· derived
Small
Automatable· derived
No
Human Impact
Medium

Priority Score

39
Low Medium High Critical
KEV: 0
EPSS: 0
CVSS: +39
PoC: 0
Weaponized: 0
Threat intel: 0
Gov advisory: 0

Attack Technique

Information disclosure occurs when an application unintentionally exposes sensitive data that aids attackers in reconnaissance or directly compromises security.

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