4JXD000117

Vulnerability from csaf_abb - Published: 2026-11-11 00:30 - Updated: 2026-11-11 00:30
Summary
ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® Use-after-free - kernel IPv4
Notes
Summary: An update is available that resolves a publicly reported vulnerability in the product versions listed as affected in the advisory. An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the product to insert and run arbitrary code.
Support: For additional instructions and support please contact your local ABB service organization. For contact information, see www.abb.com/contactcenters. Information about ABB’s cyber security program and capabilities can be found at www.abb.com/cybersecurity.
Notice: The information in this document is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ABB. ABB provides no warranty, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, for the information contained in this document, and assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. In no event shall ABB or any of its suppliers be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages of any nature or kind arising from the use of this document, or from the use of any hardware or software described in this document, even if ABB or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages. This document and parts hereof must not be reproduced or copied without written permission from ABB, and the contents hereof must not be imparted to a third party nor used for any unauthorized purpose. All rights to registrations and trademarks reside with their respective owners.
General security recommendations: For any installation of software-related ABB products we strongly recommend the following (non-exhaustive) list of cyber security practices: - Isolate special purpose networks (e.g. for automation systems) and remote devices behind firewalls and separate them from any general-purpose network (e.g. office or home networks). - Install physical controls so no unauthorized personnel can access your devices, components, peripheral equipment, and networks. - Never connect programming software or computers containing programing software to any network other than the network for the devices that it is intended for. - Scan all data imported into your environment before use to detect potential malware infections. - Minimize network exposure for all applications and endpoints to ensure that they are not accessible from the Internet unless they are designed for such exposure and the intended use requires such. - Ensure all nodes are always up to date in terms of installed software, operating system, and firmware patches as well as anti-virus and firewall. - When remote access is required, use secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Recognize that VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also, understand that VPNs are only as secure as the connected devices.
Purpose: ABB has a rigorous internal cyber security continuous improvement process which involves regular testing with industry leading tools and periodic assessments to identify potential product issues. Occasionally an issue is determined to be a design or coding flaw with implications that may impact product cyber security. When a potential product vulnerability is identified or reported, ABB immediately initiates our vulnerability handling process. This entails validating if the issue is in fact a product issue, identifying root causes, determining what related products may be impacted, developing a remediation, and notifying end users and governmental organizations. The resulting Cyber Security Advisory intends to notify customers of the vulnerability and provide details on which products are impacted, how to mitigate the vulnerability or explain workarounds that minimize the potential risk as much as possible. The release of a Cyber Security Advisory should not be misconstrued as an affirmation or indication of an active threat or ongoing campaign targeting the products mentioned here. If ABB is aware of any specific threats, it will be clearly mentioned in the communication. The publication of this Cyber Security Advisory is an example of ABB's commitment to the user community in support of this critical topic. Responsible disclosure is an important element in the chain of trust we work to maintain with our many customers. The release of an Advisory provides timely information which is essential to help ensure our customers are fully informed.
Frequently Asked Questions: What causes the vulnerability? - A use-after-free vulnerability was found in the Linux kernel's IPv4 networking subsystem. A remote, unauthenticated attacker could exploit a race condition during TCP connection request processing to trigger remote code execution. The flaw arises when socket options are freed while still being accessed by a concurrent operation, such as a retransmitted connection request or a socket migration. Exploitation requires precise timing of network requests but does not require any privileges or user interaction. What is ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX®? - OPTIMAX is a software suite that delivers energy management and optimization for energy, emissions, and processes. It provides coordinated control of multiple assets targeting energy efficiency and decarbonization. OPTIMAX is an optimization environment for solving all types of energy management and optimization challenges that industrial enterprises and energy providers face What might an attacker use the vulnerability to do? - An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code or crash the system. How could an attacker exploit the vulnerability? - Anthropic published its root exploit on October 27, 2026, and has not released it (see the reference section for the link). As of the time of writing, we are not aware of a public working exploit. Could the vulnerability be exploited remotely? - Yes. What does the update do? - The update removes the vulnerability by upgrading the Linux kernel to a fixed version. When this security advisory was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed? - Yes, this vulnerability has been publicly disclosed. When this security advisory was issued, had ABB received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited? - No, ABB had not received any information indicating that this vulnerability had been exploited when this security advisory was originally.
CVE-2026-98432

A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's IPv4 networking subsystem. A race condition occurs during concurrent processing of retransmitted Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection requests or socket migrations, allowing socket options to be freed while still in use.

9.8 (Critical)
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/RL:O/RC:C/CR:M/IR:M/AR:M
CWE-416 - Use After Free
Affected products
Product Identifier Version Remediation
ABB ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® 6.4.x with OS Patch don_osupdate_v6.4.1-261107
ABB / ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX®
 6.4.x with OS Patch don_osupdate_v6.4.1-261107
ABB ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® 6.5.x with OS Patch don_osupdate_v6.5.1-261106
ABB / ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX®
 6.5.x with OS Patch don_osupdate_v6.5.1-261106
Product Identifier Version Remediation
ABB ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® 6.4.x
ABB / ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX®
 6.4.x
Vendor Fix
Workaround
Mitigation
ABB ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX® 6.5.x
ABB / ABB Ability™ OPTIMAX®
 6.5.x
Vendor Fix
Workaround
Mitigation
References
To clipboard 

{
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    "csaf_version": "2.0",
    "distribution": {
      "text": "\u00a9 Copyright 2026 ABB. All rights reserved.",
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    "notes": [
      {
        "category": "summary",
        "text": "An update is available that resolves a publicly reported vulnerability in the product versions listed as affected in the advisory.\n\nAn attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could cause the product to insert and run arbitrary code.",
        "title": "Summary"
      },
      {
        "category": "other",
        "text": "For additional instructions and support please contact your local ABB service organization. For contact information, see www.abb.com/contactcenters.\n\nInformation about ABB\u2019s cyber security program and capabilities can be found at www.abb.com/cybersecurity.",
        "title": "Support"
      },
      {
        "category": "legal_disclaimer",
        "text": "The information in this document is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by ABB.\n\nABB provides no warranty, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, for the information contained in this document, and assumes no responsibility for any errors that may appear in this document. In no event shall ABB or any of its suppliers be liable for direct, indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages of any nature or kind arising from the use of this document, or from the use of any hardware or software described in this document, even if ABB or its suppliers have been advised of the possibility of such damages.\n\nThis document and parts hereof must not be reproduced or copied without written permission from ABB, and the contents hereof must not be imparted to a third party nor used for any unauthorized purpose.\n\nAll rights to registrations and trademarks reside with their respective owners.",
        "title": "Notice"
      },
      {
        "category": "other",
        "text": "For any installation of software-related ABB products we strongly recommend the following (non-exhaustive) list of cyber security practices:\n\n- Isolate special purpose networks (e.g. for automation systems) and remote devices behind firewalls and separate them from any general-purpose network (e.g. office or home networks).\n- Install physical controls so no unauthorized personnel can access your devices, components, peripheral equipment, and networks.\n- Never connect programming software or computers containing programing software to any network other than the network for the devices that it is intended for.\n- Scan all data imported into your environment before use to detect potential malware infections.\n- Minimize network exposure for all applications and endpoints to ensure that they are not accessible from the Internet unless they are designed for such exposure and the intended use requires such.\n- Ensure all nodes are always up to date in terms of installed software, operating system, and firmware patches as well as anti-virus and firewall.\n- When remote access is required, use secure methods, such as Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). Recognize that VPNs may have vulnerabilities and should be updated to the most current version available. Also, understand that VPNs are only as secure as the connected devices.",
        "title": "General security recommendations"
      },
      {
        "category": "other",
        "text": "ABB has a rigorous internal cyber security continuous improvement process which involves regular testing with industry leading tools and periodic assessments to identify potential product issues. Occasionally an issue is determined to be a design or coding flaw with implications that may impact product cyber security.\n\nWhen a potential product vulnerability is identified or reported, ABB immediately initiates our vulnerability handling process. This entails validating if the issue is in fact a product issue, identifying root causes, determining what related products may be impacted, developing a remediation, and notifying end users and governmental organizations.\n\nThe resulting Cyber Security Advisory intends to notify customers of the vulnerability and provide details on which products are impacted, how to mitigate the vulnerability or explain workarounds that minimize the potential risk as much as possible. The release of a Cyber Security Advisory should not be misconstrued as an affirmation or indication of an active threat or ongoing campaign targeting the products mentioned here. If ABB is aware of any specific threats, it will be clearly mentioned in the communication.\n\nThe publication of this Cyber Security Advisory is an example of ABB\u0027s commitment to the user community in support of this critical topic. Responsible disclosure is an important element in the chain of trust we work to maintain with our many customers. The release of an Advisory provides timely information which is essential to help ensure our customers are fully informed.",
        "title": "Purpose"
      },
      {
        "category": "faq",
        "text": "What causes the vulnerability?\n- A use-after-free vulnerability was found in the Linux kernel\u0027s IPv4 networking subsystem. A remote, unauthenticated attacker could exploit a race condition during TCP connection request processing to trigger remote code execution. The flaw arises when socket options are freed while still being accessed by a concurrent operation, such as a retransmitted connection request or a socket migration. Exploitation requires precise timing of network requests but does not require any privileges or user interaction.\n\nWhat is ABB Ability\u2122 OPTIMAX\u00ae?\n- OPTIMAX is a software suite that delivers energy management and optimization for energy, emissions, and processes. It provides coordinated control of multiple assets targeting energy efficiency and decarbonization. OPTIMAX is an optimization environment for solving all types of energy management and optimization challenges that industrial enterprises and energy providers face\n\nWhat might an attacker use the vulnerability to do?\n- An attacker who successfully exploited this vulnerability could run arbitrary code or crash the system.\n\nHow could an attacker exploit the vulnerability?\n- Anthropic published its root exploit on October 27, 2026, and has not released it (see the reference section for the link). As of the time of writing, we are not aware of a public working exploit.\n\nCould the vulnerability be exploited remotely?\n- Yes.\n\nWhat does the update do?\n- The update removes the vulnerability by upgrading the Linux kernel to a fixed version.\n\nWhen this security advisory was issued, had this vulnerability been publicly disclosed?\n- Yes, this vulnerability has been publicly disclosed.\n\nWhen this security advisory was issued, had ABB received any reports that this vulnerability was being exploited?\n- No, ABB had not received any information indicating that this vulnerability had been exploited when this security advisory was originally.",
        "title": "Frequently Asked Questions"
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    "publisher": {
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      "namespace": "https://www.abb.com/global/en/company/about/cybersecurity/alerts-and-notifications"
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    "references": [
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        "category": "self",
        "summary": "ABB CYBERSECURITY ADVISORY - PDF Version ",
        "url": "https://search.abb.com/library/Download.aspx?DocumentID=4JXD000117\u0026LanguageCode=en\u0026DocumentPartId=\u0026Action=Launch"
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        "category": "self",
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        "url": "https://psirt.abb.com/csaf/2026/4jxd000117.json"
      },
      {
        "summary": "Red Hat - RHSB-2026-016 (filter incoming IPv4 packets containing IP options) ",
        "url": "https://access.redhat.com/security/vulnerabilities/RHSB-2026-016"
      },
      {
        "summary": "Anthropic - Discovering vulnerabilities with Claude ",
        "url": "https://www.anthropic.com/research/discovering-vulnerabilities-with-claude"
      }
    ],
    "title": "ABB Ability\u2122 OPTIMAX\u00ae Use-after-free - kernel IPv4",
    "tracking": {
      "current_release_date": "2026-11-11T00:30:00.000Z",
      "generator": {
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          "legacy_version": "A",
          "number": "1",
          "summary": "Initial version."
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      "status": "draft",
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  "product_tree": {
    "branches": [
      {
        "branches": [
          {
            "branches": [
              {
                "category": "product_version",
                "name": "6.4.x",
                "product": {
                  "name": "ABB ABB Ability\u2122 OPTIMAX\u00ae 6.4.x",
                  "product_id": "AV1"
                }
              },
              {
                "category": "product_version",
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                  "name": "ABB ABB Ability\u2122 OPTIMAX\u00ae 6.5.x",
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                "name": "6.4.x with OS Patch don_osupdate_v6.4.1-261107",
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  "vulnerabilities": [
    {
      "cve": "CVE-2026-98432",
      "cwe": {
        "id": "CWE-416",
        "name": "Use After Free"
      },
      "notes": [
        {
          "category": "description",
          "text": "A flaw was found in the Linux kernel\u0027s IPv4 networking subsystem. A race condition occurs during concurrent processing of retransmitted Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection requests or socket migrations, allowing socket options to be freed while still in use.",
          "title": "CVE description"
        }
      ],
      "product_status": {
        "fixed": [
          "FX1",
          "FX2"
        ],
        "known_affected": [
          "AV1",
          "AV2"
        ]
      },
      "references": [
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          "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/cve-2026-98432"
        }
      ],
      "remediations": [
        {
          "category": "vendor_fix",
          "details": "The problem is corrected in the following product version:\n\n- ABB Ability\u2122 OPTIMAX\u00ae, 6.4.x\n  OS Patch: don_osupdate_v6.4.1-261107\n\nABB recommends that customers apply the update at earliest convenience.\n\nA technical note describing the patching instructions will be made available to ABB customers via ABB Library.",
          "product_ids": [
            "AV1"
          ]
        },
        {
          "category": "vendor_fix",
          "details": "The problem is corrected in the following product version:\n\n- ABB Ability\u2122 OPTIMAX\u00ae, 6.5.x\n  OS Patch: don_osupdate_v6.5.1-261106\n\nABB recommends that customers apply the update at earliest convenience.\n\nA technical note describing the patching instructions will be made available to ABB customers via ABB Library.",
          "product_ids": [
            "AV2"
          ]
        },
        {
          "category": "workaround",
          "details": "Filter Incoming IPv4 Packets Containing IP Options, see the reference section for the Red Hat security bulletin RHSB-2026-016.\n\nThe following nftables table drops incoming IPv4 TCP packets that contain IP options, which reduces exposure to this vulnerability but cannot fully prevent it. Ordinary application traffic is generally expected to remain unaffected, because standard TCP options are carried in the TCP header and continue to be permitted.\n\nWarning: Review this rule against your own traffic, network configuration, and operational requirements, and test it in a non-production environment before deploying it.\n\nThis rule is not persistent and will not survive a reboot. Customers applying it should ensure it is reapplied after any reboot that occurs before the kernel update is installed.\n\nProcedure\n\nSave the following to a file named cve-2026-98432.nft:\n\ntable inet cve_2026_98432 {\n    chain input {\n        type filter hook input priority -310; policy accept;\n        ip protocol tcp ip hdrlength \u003e 5 counter drop\n    }\n}\n\nValidate and apply the rule:\n\n1. sudo nft --check --file cve-2026-98432.nft\n2. sudo nft --file cve-2026-98432.nft\n3. sudo nft list table inet cve_2026_98432\n\nRemoval\n\nAfter the kernel has been updated to a fixed version, remove the mitigation rule:\n\n4. sudo nft delete table inet cve_2026_98432",
          "product_ids": [
            "AV1",
            "AV2"
          ]
        },
        {
          "category": "mitigation",
          "details": "Exploitation requires the following preconditions:\n- The attacker has a network communication channel with OPTIMAX\n\nFiltering the affected network traffic can reduce the exposure of the vulnerable code path, but it may disrupt necessary workloads and is not a substitute for patching. Applying kernel security updates as they become available is the only complete solution, and customers are strongly recommended to update as soon as fixes are released.\n\nRefer to section \u201cGeneral security recommendations\u201d for further advise on how to keep your system secure.",
          "product_ids": [
            "AV1",
            "AV2"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "scores": [
        {
          "cvss_v3": {
            "attackComplexity": "LOW",
            "attackVector": "NETWORK",
            "availabilityImpact": "HIGH",
            "availabilityRequirement": "MEDIUM",
            "baseScore": 9.8,
            "baseSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "confidentialityImpact": "HIGH",
            "confidentialityRequirement": "MEDIUM",
            "environmentalScore": 9.4,
            "environmentalSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "integrityImpact": "HIGH",
            "integrityRequirement": "MEDIUM",
            "privilegesRequired": "NONE",
            "remediationLevel": "OFFICIAL_FIX",
            "reportConfidence": "CONFIRMED",
            "scope": "UNCHANGED",
            "temporalScore": 9.4,
            "temporalSeverity": "CRITICAL",
            "userInteraction": "NONE",
            "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H/RL:O/RC:C/CR:M/IR:M/AR:M",
            "version": "3.1"
          },
          "products": [
            "AV1",
            "AV2"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "title": "CVE-2026-98432"
    }
  ]
}



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