ovpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths

Summary

CVECVE-2026-68122
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-08-10 13:19:57 UTC
Updated2026-08-17 05:18:11 UTC
DescriptionIn 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.

Risk And Classification

EPSS: 0.001730000 probability, percentile 0.070540000 (date 2026-08-17)

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected a6a5e87b3ee4cbf9c69a776565378c9b6a91dbfb b08526bf0bbf84ceebd29033783e8e0c9f451286 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected a6a5e87b3ee4cbf9c69a776565378c9b6a91dbfb f08f39c1f43f3980d46b06af8ed99ffe84ac294a git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected a6a5e87b3ee4cbf9c69a776565378c9b6a91dbfb 63bbe18fc03062f483c627838a566a707b62da79 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 6.16 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.16 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.18.42 6.18.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.1.6 7.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.2 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/b08526bf0bbf84ceebd29033783e8e0c9f451286 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/63bbe18fc03062f483c627838a566a707b62da79 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/f08f39c1f43f3980d46b06af8ed99ffe84ac294a 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
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