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CVE-2026-68122 (GCVE-0-2026-68122)

Vulnerability from cvelistv5 – Published: 2026-08-10 11:58 – Updated: 2026-08-17 04:59
VLAI
Title
ovpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ovpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths When either the TCP RX or TX error path calls ovpn_peer_hold() followed by schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work), and the work item is already pending from the other path, schedule_work() returns false and the work runs only once. Since ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work() calls ovpn_peer_put() exactly once, the extra reference taken by the losing path is never dropped, leaking the peer object. The race window: CPU0 (strparser/RX error): CPU1 (tcp_tx_work/TX error): ovpn_peer_hold() <- refcnt+1 ovpn_peer_hold() <- refcnt+2 schedule_work() <- queued schedule_work() <- NO-OP (work already pending) ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work runs: ovpn_peer_del() ovpn_peer_put() <- refcnt+1 <- peer never freed Fix by checking the return value of schedule_work() in both paths and calling ovpn_peer_put() to drop the extra reference if the work was already pending. ovpn_peer_hold() is kept unconditional in the TX path as it cannot fail at that point.
Severity
No CVSS data available.
Assigner
References
Impacted products
Vendor Product Version CPE status
Linux Linux Affected: a6a5e87b3ee4cbf9c69a776565378c9b6a91dbfb , < b08526bf0bbf84ceebd29033783e8e0c9f451286 (git)
Affected: a6a5e87b3ee4cbf9c69a776565378c9b6a91dbfb , < f08f39c1f43f3980d46b06af8ed99ffe84ac294a (git)
Affected: a6a5e87b3ee4cbf9c69a776565378c9b6a91dbfb , < 63bbe18fc03062f483c627838a566a707b62da79 (git)
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Linux Linux Affected: 6.16
Unaffected: 0 , < 6.16 (semver)
Unaffected: 6.18.42 , ≤ 6.18.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.1.6 , ≤ 7.1.* (semver)
Unaffected: 7.2 , ≤ * (original_commit_for_fix)
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{
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      "affected": [
        {
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "product": "Linux",
          "programFiles": [
            "drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c"
          ],
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              "operator": "OR"
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          "lang": "en",
          "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\novpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths\n\nWhen either the TCP RX or TX error path calls ovpn_peer_hold() followed\nby schedule_work(\u0026peer-\u003etcp.defer_del_work), and the work item is already\npending from the other path, schedule_work() returns false and the work\nruns only once. Since ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work() calls ovpn_peer_put()\nexactly once, the extra reference taken by the losing path is never\ndropped, leaking the peer object.\n\nThe race window:\n\n  CPU0 (strparser/RX error):       CPU1 (tcp_tx_work/TX error):\n  ovpn_peer_hold()   \u003c- refcnt+1   ovpn_peer_hold()   \u003c- refcnt+2\n  schedule_work()    \u003c- queued      schedule_work()    \u003c- NO-OP\n                                    (work already pending)\n  ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work runs:\n    ovpn_peer_del()\n    ovpn_peer_put()  \u003c- refcnt+1\n                                   \u003c- peer never freed\n\nFix by checking the return value of schedule_work() in both paths and\ncalling ovpn_peer_put() to drop the extra reference if the work was\nalready pending. ovpn_peer_hold() is kept unconditional in the TX path\nas it cannot fail at that point."
        }
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        "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T04:59:13.088Z",
        "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
        "shortName": "Linux"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b08526bf0bbf84ceebd29033783e8e0c9f451286"
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          "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/63bbe18fc03062f483c627838a566a707b62da79"
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    "assignerShortName": "Linux",
    "cveId": "CVE-2026-68122",
    "datePublished": "2026-08-10T11:58:42.477Z",
    "dateReserved": "2026-07-30T09:28:09.369Z",
    "dateUpdated": "2026-08-17T04:59:13.088Z",
    "state": "PUBLISHED"
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    "redhat_vex": {
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      "current_release_date": "2026-08-31T11:16:34+00:00",
      "cve": "CVE-2026-68122",
      "id": "CVE-2026-68122",
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      "product_status:known_not_affected": "277",
      "source": "Red Hat CSAF VEX",
      "status": "final",
      "title": "kernel: ovpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths",
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      "cve": "CVE-2026-68122",
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      "source": "SUSE CSAF VEX",
      "status": "interim",
      "title": "SUSE CVE CVE-2026-68122",
      "url": "https://ftp.suse.com/pub/projects/security/csaf-vex/cve-2026-68122.json",
      "version": "2"
    }
  }
}



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Forecast uses a logistic model when the trend is rising, or an exponential decay model when the trend is falling. Fitted via linearized least squares.

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