Severity by source
AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
ovpn netlink peer management requires CAP_NET_ADMIN (PR:H) and success depends on winning a tight local race (AV:L/AC:H); UAF enables kernel memory corruption so C/I/A:H.
Primary rating from Vendor (Linux).
CVSS VectorVendor: Linux
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Lifecycle Timeline
5DescriptionCVE.org
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ovpn: skip rehash for peers already removed from by_id
ovpn_nl_peer_set_doit() resolves the target peer via ovpn_peer_get_by_id() before taking ovpn->lock. In the window between the lookup (which only takes a refcount) and the subsequent spin_lock_bh(&ovpn->lock), a concurrent OVPN_CMD_PEER_DEL, keepalive expiry, or socket teardown can take ovpn->lock first, run ovpn_peer_remove() to unhash the peer from all four tables (by_id, by_vpn_addr4/6, by_transp_addr) and release the lock. set_doit then acquires ovpn->lock and calls ovpn_peer_hash_vpn_ip(), which re-inserts the now-removed peer back into the rehashing tables.
The same race affects the float path: ovpn_peer_endpoints_update() holds only a refcount and acquires ovpn->lock very late (after async AEAD decrypt and a netlink notification), then rehashes the peer in the by_transp_addr table.
The resurrected peer becomes reachable again from the RX lookup (ovpn_peer_get_by_transp_addr) and the TX VPN-IP lookup, even though userspace believes it is gone. Once the data-path refcount drops the peer is freed via call_rcu while the hash entries embedded in it remain linked, opening a UAF window.
Bail out of the rehash when hash_entry_id is unhashed, mirroring the sentinel already used by ovpn_peer_remove() to detect the already-removed state. The check is safe under ovpn->lock, which serializes every mutation of hash_entry_id, and is a no-op for the add path because ovpn_peer_add_mp() inserts hash_entry_id before calling ovpn_peer_hash_vpn_ip().
AnalysisAI
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel's ovpn (in-kernel OpenVPN data-channel offload) module lets a local privileged attacker corrupt kernel memory by racing peer-management operations. A time-of-check/time-of-use window between ovpn_peer_get_by_id() and acquisition of ovpn->lock allows a peer that was concurrently removed to be re-inserted into the rehash tables, resurrecting a peer userspace believes is gone and leaving embedded hash entries linked to memory later freed via call_rcu. …
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Attack ChainAIDerived
Hypothetical attack flow derived from CVE metadata
Vulnerability AssessmentAI
| Exploitation | Exploitation requires (1) the ovpn in-kernel OpenVPN offload module to be loaded and an ovpn interface active, and (2) the ability to issue ovpn netlink peer-management commands (OVPN_CMD_PEER_SET, and a concurrent OVPN_CMD_PEER_DEL / keepalive expiry / socket teardown), which in practice requires CAP_NET_ADMIN. … Additional conditions and limiting factors are described in the full assessment. |
| Risk Assessment | The input CVSS is 9.8 (AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N) - the standard Linux kernel CNA scoring - but this conflicts with the actual mechanism, which is a local race requiring the ability to issue ovpn netlink peer-management commands (OVPN_CMD_PEER_SET/PEER_DEL), an operation that requires CAP_NET_ADMIN. … Full risk analysis with EPSS, KEV, and SSVC signal comparison available after sign-in. |
| Exploit Scenario | A local attacker holding CAP_NET_ADMIN on a host running the ovpn module rapidly issues OVPN_CMD_PEER_SET for a peer while a concurrent OVPN_CMD_PEER_DEL (or keepalive/socket teardown) removes it, winning the window between the refcounted lookup and ovpn->lock. The removed peer is re-inserted into the rehash tables and, once the data-path refcount drops, is freed via call_rcu while its hash entries remain linked, yielding a use-after-free the attacker can leverage toward kernel memory corruption and potential local privilege escalation. … |
| Remediation | Vendor-released patch: update to Linux 6.18.45, 7.1.9, or 7.2 (or later), or apply the stable-tree fix commits d20c181088984b6eaa8d7fe7cb5ab3510988df59 / 66745480298775f188b2f5ad266643e85a90f73b / 33ec10567fe14456063daf549fdf1a4f53448e4c, which add the unhashed-sentinel check that skips rehashing a removed peer. … Detailed patch versions, workarounds, and compensating controls in full report. |
Recommended ActionAI
Within 24 hours, identify all systems running the Linux kernel ovpn module and document their current kernel versions. …
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External POC / Exploit Code
Leaving vuln.today
EUVD-2026-64414
GHSA-vxqr-379f-fhc4