net: openvswitch: fix use-after-free of the flow table mask array
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 6 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: fix use-after-free of the flow table mask array tbl_mask_array_realloc() retires the old mask_array before it stops being reachable: old = ovsl_dereference(tbl->mask_array); if (old) { ... call_rcu(&old->rcu, mask_array_rcu_cb); } rcu_assign_pointer(tbl->mask_array, new); call_rcu() only waits for read-side critical sections already in flight. tbl->mask_array still points at old between the call_rcu() and the rcu_assign_pointer(), so a reader entering ovs_flow_tbl_lookup_stats() in that window picks up old in a fresh critical section that the pending grace period does not cover. tbl_mask_array_realloc() runs in process context under ovs_mutex, so the window is preemptible and can outlast the grace period. Then mask_array_rcu_cb() frees old before the swap runs: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in flow_lookup.constprop.0+0x2bf/0x2f0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888020b3e018 by task poc/741 flow_lookup.constprop.0+0x2bf/0x2f0 ovs_flow_tbl_lookup_stats+0x4a3/0x5c0 ovs_dp_process_packet+0x19c/0x710 ovs_vport_receive+0x243/0x390 internal_dev_xmit+0x81/0x170 Freed by task 728: kfree+0x16a/0x4e0 rcu_core+0x853/0x1030 Publish the new array before retiring the old one. The kfree_rcu() that call_rcu() replaced ran after the swap.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.271, 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.111, 6.18.53, 7.2.7, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 1 product
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-97611
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-p256-hqvm-38xq
- 2026-10-03 Fix available: Linux/Linux@017dbbf0d6c319a487f68e22f56d91fc787d5525, Linux/Linux@4016ead17acd75312c066ecd47c4b7f0a81ceaa2, Linux/Linux@4c98b492e9ed63f9ca3e23566d9a6a4f235944f4 +5 · CNA
- 2026-10-03 4 new references · CNA
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c98b492e9ed63f9ca3e23566d9a6a4f235944f4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4016ead17acd75312c066ecd47c4b7f0a81ceaa2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/017dbbf0d6c319a487f68e22f56d91fc787d5525
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/76678217cdabc41e3c74c23b45b62086ffb8fe7a
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cd982e11684def5d4a9fcfd5354de09032828414
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a0d18d21d48a551f82ee344e50efb8a682161489
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/035e9c3722067648a99010711d0ce81f42572ef4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ba4ba11ed6eb8972c69070417fc27b48deb002e8
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Sources
- CVE-2026-97611 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-97611 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-p256-hqvm-38xq · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-97611 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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