CVE-2026-98490
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: conntrack…
- Risk score
- 76/100
- CVSS
- 9.8 v3.1
- Exploit chance (30 days)
- 0.2%
- Published
- 18 Oct 2026
Open in the live forecast Today's forecast
What to know
- What it is
- A critical vulnerability in the Linux kernel's openvswitch module allows an attacker to potentially gain control over the system. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to execute arbitrary code.
- Affected
- {'products': ['Linux kernel'], 'packages': [], 'versions': ['unknown']}
- Fix
- Check the linked advisory for details on the fix
- Exploitation
- No known exploitation
Why it is Amber
- CVSS 9.8 critical
- Remotely exploitable without logging in
- On your watchlist: linux kernel
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18866dc1f525f9ee4de7709529d1ae1af8d8e8be
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1a4151e6be57b098b7a5ebfbde58585e83200cdc
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5f23080a625dd7855ab91485c8d691a54a1979f0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/afcf362625190c5260530b1d6c7daa98831f6b83
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e02a83bb0b7a203f6a22f55ad5f426765560f811
Original description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: conntrack: fix helper UAF due to extensions realloc While calling the helpers, a raw pointer to the extensions area is wired into expectations list: -> nf_ct_helper() -> helper->help() -> nf_ct_expect_related_report() -> nf_ct_expect_insert() -> hlist_add_head_rcu(&exp->lnode, &master_help->expectations) In case the connection is not confirmed yet, more extensions can be added afterwards with *_ext_add() calls reallocating the extension space and leaving the now invalid pointer in the expectations list that is later accessed while removing the expectation. Make sure that helpers are called at the end after all the other extensions are already added. Note that the helper rejection now leaves the mark and labels set, but that's not different from how the NAT was handled before or how the mark and the labels were handled on confirmation failure. And there are no atomicity guarantees provided by the API anyway.
Last activity 18 Oct 2026. Patch Forecast updates every hour.