Kernel memory corruption via premature peer release
Published Jul 19, 2026 · Updated Jul 19, 2026
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel ovpn module allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through concurrent TCP peer operations. When peer creation or modification fails, ovpn_nl_peer_new_doit() calls ovpn_peer_release() instead of ovpn_peer_put(), destroying a TCP peer despite outstanding references. A low-privileged local user must race an ovpn TCP file-descriptor syscall against the error path; the freed object can cause a kernel crash or code execution.
Summary
What happened
Use-after-free in the Linux kernel ovpn module allows local users to corrupt kernel memory through concurrent TCP peer operations. When peer creation or modification fails, ovpn_nl_peer_new_doit() calls ovpn_peer_release() instead of ovpn_peer_put(), destroying a TCP peer despite outstanding references. A low-privileged local user must race an ovpn TCP file-descriptor syscall against the error path; the freed object can cause a kernel crash or code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-64044
- Published
- Jul 19, 2026
- Updated
- Jul 19, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux Kernel
- Classifications
- CWE-825, T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Jul 19, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Jul 19, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
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- Affected versionversion=11851cbd60ea1e5abbd97619d69845ead99303d6 <0c3ef71879c0264de6c42463031d9e057da87840
- Affected versionversion=11851cbd60ea1e5abbd97619d69845ead99303d6 <1fef6614673ff0846d30acdeeaf3cf98bb5f6116
- Affected versionversion=11851cbd60ea1e5abbd97619d69845ead99303d6 <8298834912d76dbc82c12b6b4ab7590ed2bb8ae5
- Affected versionversion=6.16
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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