Torn address reads in Linux kernel ovpn local endpoint handling
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Fixed
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
The Linux kernel ovpn driver, from version 6.16, updates a peer's local endpoint in place without holding the lock that the UDP transmit path relies on. A concurrent IPv6 update can therefore cause a torn address read.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ovpn: replace bind when learning local endpoint struct ovpn_bind is published through peer->bind with RCU, but local endpoint learning updates bind->local in place under peer->lock. UDP TX reads the field without that lock. In particular, a concurrent IPv6 update can therefore result in a torn address read. Use ovpn_peer_reset_sockaddr to publish a replacement bind when learning a new local endpoint, just as a remote endpoint change does. Preserve the current remote address and reset the dst cache only after the new bind has been published successfully. Track remote endpoint changes separately so that float notification and transport-address rehashing remain limited to actual peer floats.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Update the Linux kernel to 6.18.55, 7.2.9 or 7.3.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 7 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98604
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-hmmp-5rq5-qfff
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-21 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-21 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98604 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98604 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-hmmp-5rq5-qfff · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98604 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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