Network Device Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Open vSwitch by Linux Foundation

CVE-2026-31678

What is CVE-2026-31678?

A vulnerability has been identified in the Linux kernel's Open vSwitch component that can lead to race conditions involving network device management. Specifically, the function ovs_netdev_tunnel_destroy() may execute after a device has been detached via NETDEV_UNREGISTER, potentially causing concurrent readers to access a stale reference. To mitigate this issue, the reference to vport->dev should not be released prematurely within ovs_netdev_tunnel_destroy(). Instead, the dropping of this reference must be handled by the RCU callback in vport_netdev_free(), aligning with the handling observed in non-tunnel destroy processes. This adjustment minimizes the need for additional synchronization under the RTNL, which enhances overall system stability.

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