In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ovpn: tcp - use cached peer pointer in ovpn_tcp_close()
ovpn_tcp_close() loads the ovpn_socket via rcu_dereference_sk_user_data()
under rcu_read_lock(), takes a reference on sock->peer, caches the peer
pointer in a local, and drops the read lock. It then passes sock->peer
(rather than the cached local) to ovpn_peer_del(), re-dereferencing the
ovpn_socket after the RCU read section has ended.
Unlike ovpn_tcp_sendmsg(), which uses the same "load under RCU, use
after unlock" pattern but is protected by lock_sock() held across the
function, ovpn_tcp_close() runs without the socket lock: inet_release()
invokes sk_prot->close() without taking lock_sock first.
ovpn_socket_release() can therefore complete its kref_put -> detach ->
synchronize_rcu -> kfree(sock) sequence concurrently, in the window
after ovpn_tcp_close() drops rcu_read_lock() but before it dereferences
sock->peer. The synchronize_rcu() in ovpn_socket_release() protects
readers that use the dereferenced pointer inside the RCU read section,
not those that escape the pointer to a local and use it afterwards.
A reproducer follows the pattern of commit 94560267d6c4 ("ovpn: tcp -
don't deref NULL sk_socket member after tcp_close()"): trigger a peer
removal (keepalive expiration or netlink OVPN_CMD_DEL_PEER) at the same
moment userspace closes the TCP fd. That commit fixed the detach-side
of the same race window; this one fixes the close-side at a different
victim.
Tighten the entry block to read sock->peer exactly once into the cached
peer local, and route all subsequent uses (the hold check, the
ovpn_peer_del() call, and the prot->close() invocation) through that
local. sock->peer is only ever written once in ovpn_socket_new() under
lock_sock(), before rcu_assign_sk_user_data() publishes the ovpn_socket,
and is never reassigned afterwards - but the previous multi-read pattern
made that invariant implicit rather than explicit. The same multi-read
shape exists in ovpn_tcp_recvmsg(), ovpn_tcp_sendmsg(),
ovpn_tcp_data_ready() and ovpn_tcp_write_space(); those will be cleaned
up via a dedicated helper in a follow-up net-next series.
ovpn: tcp - use cached peer pointer in ovpn_tcp_close()
ovpn_tcp_close() loads the ovpn_socket via rcu_dereference_sk_user_data()
under rcu_read_lock(), takes a reference on sock->peer, caches the peer
pointer in a local, and drops the read lock. It then passes sock->peer
(rather than the cached local) to ovpn_peer_del(), re-dereferencing the
ovpn_socket after the RCU read section has ended.
Unlike ovpn_tcp_sendmsg(), which uses the same "load under RCU, use
after unlock" pattern but is protected by lock_sock() held across the
function, ovpn_tcp_close() runs without the socket lock: inet_release()
invokes sk_prot->close() without taking lock_sock first.
ovpn_socket_release() can therefore complete its kref_put -> detach ->
synchronize_rcu -> kfree(sock) sequence concurrently, in the window
after ovpn_tcp_close() drops rcu_read_lock() but before it dereferences
sock->peer. The synchronize_rcu() in ovpn_socket_release() protects
readers that use the dereferenced pointer inside the RCU read section,
not those that escape the pointer to a local and use it afterwards.
A reproducer follows the pattern of commit 94560267d6c4 ("ovpn: tcp -
don't deref NULL sk_socket member after tcp_close()"): trigger a peer
removal (keepalive expiration or netlink OVPN_CMD_DEL_PEER) at the same
moment userspace closes the TCP fd. That commit fixed the detach-side
of the same race window; this one fixes the close-side at a different
victim.
Tighten the entry block to read sock->peer exactly once into the cached
peer local, and route all subsequent uses (the hold check, the
ovpn_peer_del() call, and the prot->close() invocation) through that
local. sock->peer is only ever written once in ovpn_socket_new() under
lock_sock(), before rcu_assign_sk_user_data() publishes the ovpn_socket,
and is never reassigned afterwards - but the previous multi-read pattern
made that invariant implicit rather than explicit. The same multi-read
shape exists in ovpn_tcp_recvmsg(), ovpn_tcp_sendmsg(),
ovpn_tcp_data_ready() and ovpn_tcp_write_space(); those will be cleaned
up via a dedicated helper in a follow-up net-next series.
Default status is the baseline for the product, each version can override it (e.g. patched versions marked unaffected).
| Vendor | Product | Default status | Versions | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | unaffected |
|
||||||||||||||||||
| Linux | Linux | affected |
|
No data.
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Advisories
No advisories yet.
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Sun, 19 Jul 2026 16:15:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ovpn: tcp - use cached peer pointer in ovpn_tcp_close() ovpn_tcp_close() loads the ovpn_socket via rcu_dereference_sk_user_data() under rcu_read_lock(), takes a reference on sock->peer, caches the peer pointer in a local, and drops the read lock. It then passes sock->peer (rather than the cached local) to ovpn_peer_del(), re-dereferencing the ovpn_socket after the RCU read section has ended. Unlike ovpn_tcp_sendmsg(), which uses the same "load under RCU, use after unlock" pattern but is protected by lock_sock() held across the function, ovpn_tcp_close() runs without the socket lock: inet_release() invokes sk_prot->close() without taking lock_sock first. ovpn_socket_release() can therefore complete its kref_put -> detach -> synchronize_rcu -> kfree(sock) sequence concurrently, in the window after ovpn_tcp_close() drops rcu_read_lock() but before it dereferences sock->peer. The synchronize_rcu() in ovpn_socket_release() protects readers that use the dereferenced pointer inside the RCU read section, not those that escape the pointer to a local and use it afterwards. A reproducer follows the pattern of commit 94560267d6c4 ("ovpn: tcp - don't deref NULL sk_socket member after tcp_close()"): trigger a peer removal (keepalive expiration or netlink OVPN_CMD_DEL_PEER) at the same moment userspace closes the TCP fd. That commit fixed the detach-side of the same race window; this one fixes the close-side at a different victim. Tighten the entry block to read sock->peer exactly once into the cached peer local, and route all subsequent uses (the hold check, the ovpn_peer_del() call, and the prot->close() invocation) through that local. sock->peer is only ever written once in ovpn_socket_new() under lock_sock(), before rcu_assign_sk_user_data() publishes the ovpn_socket, and is never reassigned afterwards - but the previous multi-read pattern made that invariant implicit rather than explicit. The same multi-read shape exists in ovpn_tcp_recvmsg(), ovpn_tcp_sendmsg(), ovpn_tcp_data_ready() and ovpn_tcp_write_space(); those will be cleaned up via a dedicated helper in a follow-up net-next series. | |
| Title | ovpn: tcp - use cached peer pointer in ovpn_tcp_close() | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-07-19T15:39:30.526Z
Reserved: 2026-07-19T07:54:57.029Z
Link: CVE-2026-64045
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
No data.
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.