Open vSwitch in Linux kernel mishandles IPv6 fragment address rewrite
Key facts
- Attack vector
- —
- Privileges required
- —
- User interaction
- —
- Attack complexity
- —
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- —
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 7 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 3.8 has a flaw in the Open vSwitch set_ipv6_addr() path, where rewriting addresses of non-first IPv6 fragments reads an uninitialized transport header offset. The read triggers a kernel warning on kernels built with CONFIG_DEBUG_NET=y, and the source describes the warning as harmless.
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: net: openvswitch: validate transport header presence in set_ipv6_addr When executing IPv6 address rewrite actions on IPv6 fragments, set_ipv6_addr() calls update_ipv6_checksum(). If parse_ipv6hdr() processes a non-first IPv6 fragment, it sets key->ip.proto to NEXTHDR_FRAGMENT and returns early without calling skb_set_transport_header(). update_ipv6_checksum() unconditionally evaluates skb_transport_offset() on entry before checking l4_proto. Because skb->transport_header is uninitialized, this triggers a warning under CONFIG_DEBUG_NET=y although it is completely harmless. Fix this by returning early in update_ipv6_checksum() if l4_proto is NEXTHDR_FRAGMENT. This avoids reading the uninitialized transport offset for fragments while preserving the debug warning for any other protocol where the transport header is unexpectedly missing. See the syzbot trace: !skb_transport_header_was_set(skb) WARNING: ./include/linux/skbuff.h:3075 at skb_transport_header include/linux/skbuff.h:3075 [inline], CPU#1: syz-executor463/5635 WARNING: ./include/linux/skbuff.h:3075 at skb_transport_offset include/linux/skbuff.h:3250 [inline], CPU#1: syz-executor463/5635 WARNING: ./include/linux/skbuff.h:3075 at update_ipv6_checksum net/openvswitch/actions.c:361 [inline], CPU#1: syz-executor463/5635 WARNING: ./include/linux/skbuff.h:3075 at set_ipv6_addr+0x462/0x660 net/openvswitch/actions.c:399, CPU#1: syz-executor463/5635 [...] RIP: 0010:skb_transport_header include/linux/skbuff.h:3075 [inline] RIP: 0010:skb_transport_offset include/linux/skbuff.h:3250 [inline] RIP: 0010:update_ipv6_checksum net/openvswitch/actions.c:361 [inline] RIP: 0010:set_ipv6_addr+0x462/0x660 net/openvswitch/actions.c:399 [...] Call Trace: <TASK> set_ipv6 net/openvswitch/actions.c:531 [inline] do_execute_actions+0x557e/0x8600 net/openvswitch/actions.c:1366 ovs_execute_actions+0xde/0x520 net/openvswitch/actions.c:1592 ovs_packet_cmd_execute+0xb4f/0xf10 net/openvswitch/datapath.c:705 genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x233/0x340 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1114 genl_rcv_msg+0x614/0x7a0 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1209 netlink_rcv_skb+0x226/0x4a0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2572 genl_rcv+0x28/0x40 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1218 netlink_unicast+0x7bd/0x940 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1361 netlink_sendmsg+0x813/0xb40 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1916 sock_sendmsg_nosec+0x14e/0x190 net/socket.c:800
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Fixed Linux kernel versions are 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11 and 7.3. Red Hat's plan is "none available" for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, 8, 9 and 10 and for Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5, and "no fix planned" for Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-07
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.10.273, 5.15.224, 6.1.191, 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.57, 7.2.11, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Timeline
- 2026-10-26 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99088
- 2026-10-27 Alias added: GHSA-hwf6-223w-r64q
- 2026-10-29 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-29 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Fix available: Linux/Linux@1efa6842e94aa70237446b31fbe2bc16586809c3, Linux/[email protected], Linux/[email protected] +3 · CNA
- 2026-10-30 3 new references · CNA
- 2026-11-07 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 8
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1efa6842e94aa70237446b31fbe2bc16586809c3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ad4258db21e801a7aae614afca89a2e39283080d
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/54cb98ed23866205926298621e04169f50665b59
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b7b80d204abdc258006f9e17c92b363ab13bb599
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6774af7cd17be8f0d0f70de3a749d381b4f2e9da
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2594795fd832f0253826d64ff8976b8ff5fbfe9f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b8897ba0733f88f0360ea48a970f373f9142de0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3c6a4b11330fe424557538a98fca9f0a4c5bf313
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-99088 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99088 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-hwf6-223w-r64q · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99088 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences