High

CVE-2025-68785 — net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action The push_nsh() action structure looks like this: OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH(OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH(OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE,...)) The outermost OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH attribute is OK'ed by the nla_for_each_nested() inside __ovs_nla_copy_actions(). The innermost OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE/MD1/MD2 are OK'ed by the nla_for_each_nested() inside nsh_key_put_from_nlattr(). But nothing checks if the attribute in the middle is OK. We don't even check that this attribute is the OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH. We just do a double unwrap with a pair of nla_data() calls - first time directly while calling validate_push_nsh() and the second time as part of the nla_for_each_nested() macro, which isn't safe, potentially causing invalid memory access if the size of this attribute is incorrect. The failure may not be noticed during validation due to larger netlink buffer, but cause trouble later during action execution where the buffer is allocated exactly to the size: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch] Read of size 184 at addr ffff88816459a634 by task a.out/22624 CPU: 8 UID: 0 PID: 22624 6.18.0-rc7+ #115 PREEMPT(voluntary) Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x51/0x70 print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x390 kasan_report+0xdd/0x110 kasan_check_range+0x35/0x1b0 __asan_memcpy+0x20/0x60 nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch] push_nsh+0x82/0x120 [openvswitch] do_execute_actions+0x1405/0x2840 [openvswitch] ovs_execute_actions+0xd5/0x3b0 [openvswitch] ovs_packet_cmd_execute+0x949/0xdb0 [openvswitch] genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1d6/0x2b0 genl_family_rcv_msg+0x336/0x580 genl_rcv_msg+0x9f/0x130 netlink_rcv_skb+0x11f/0x370 genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 netlink_unicast+0x73e/0xaa0 netlink_sendmsg+0x744/0xbf0 __sys_sendto+0x3d6/0x450 do_syscall_64+0x79/0x2c0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e </TASK> Let's add some checks that the attribute is properly sized and it's the only one attribute inside the action. Technically, there is no real reason for OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH to be there, as we know that we're pushing an NSH header already, it just creates extra nesting, but that's how uAPI works today. So, keeping as it is.

Published Jan 13, 2026 · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP · CNA: Linux

Low

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.

How the score was calculated

EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
Technical severity (high)+6

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation

Not confirmed

Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.

EPSS FIRST

0.16%

ahead of 5% of scored CVEs · Oct 15, 2026

Affects

Linux

CVSS base

7.1

High · 2 source(s)

CISA SSVC assessment CISA

Three decision points CISA publishes for the CVEs it assesses (SSVC 2.0.3). A stakeholder decision, not a severity score.

Exploitation

None

none · proof-of-concept · active

Automatable

can an attacker script the kill-chain steps

Technical impact

Partial

partial · total control of the vulnerable component

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

Vendor	Product	Versions	Status	Source
Linux	Linux	≥ b2d0f5d5dc53532e6f07bc546a476a55ebdfe0f3 and < d0c135b8bbbcf92836068fd395bebeb7ae6c7bef≥ b2d0f5d5dc53532e6f07bc546a476a55ebdfe0f3 and < 3bc2efff20a38b2c7ca18317649715df0dd62ced≥ b2d0f5d5dc53532e6f07bc546a476a55ebdfe0f3 and < 1b569db9c2f28b599e40050524aae5f7332bc294≥ b2d0f5d5dc53532e6f07bc546a476a55ebdfe0f3 and < 10ffc558246f2c75619aedda0921906095e46702≥ b2d0f5d5dc53532e6f07bc546a476a55ebdfe0f3 and < 2ecfc4433acdb149eafd7fb22d7fd4adf90b25e9≥ b2d0f5d5dc53532e6f07bc546a476a55ebdfe0f3 and < c999153bfb2d1d9b295b7010d920f2a7c6d7595f≥ b2d0f5d5dc53532e6f07bc546a476a55ebdfe0f3 and < 5ace7ef87f059d68b5f50837ef3e8a1a4870c36eversion 4.15	Vulnerable	CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

Attack characteristics

The CVSS vector, decoded. It describes the attack, not your exposure to it.

Attack vector

Local

Attack complexity

Low

Privileges required

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

None

Availability

High

Every base score collected

Sources score independently and may disagree; each row says who scored it and under which version.

Score	Version	Severity	Expl.	Impact	Scored by
7.1	CVSS 3.1	High	1.8	5.2	416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 via NIST National Vulnerability Database
7.1	CVSS 3.1	High	—	—	Linux via CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H (score shown at the top: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67)

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 13, 2026 → Oct 15, 2026 · 3 reading(s) · max 0.16%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

Local/physical vector: focus on endpoint telemetry (EDR) from affected hosts.

endpoint telemetry (EDR)

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

2026
Affected products added · linux/linux
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
SSVC assessment updated
Oct 13, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
Record published
Oct 13, 2026
CVSS changed · 7.1
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Source status changed · → Deferred
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
Record created in this database
Oct 13, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
CVE published
Jan 13, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

1× Official description updated · Oct 13, 2026 – Oct 13, 2026

References

7 on the record

git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0c135b8bbbcf92836068fd395bebeb7ae6c7bef
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/10ffc558246f2c75619aedda0921906095e46702
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ace7ef87f059d68b5f50837ef3e8a1a4870c36e
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/3bc2efff20a38b2c7ca18317649715df0dd62ced
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/c999153bfb2d1d9b295b7010d920f2a7c6d7595f
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/1b569db9c2f28b599e40050524aae5f7332bc294
NIST National Vulnerability Database
git.kernel.org/stable/c/2ecfc4433acdb149eafd7fb22d7fd4adf90b25e9
NIST National Vulnerability Database

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 22h
Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 22h
Unknown CVE-2026-98424 wifi: cfg80211: undo netns switch if renaming the wiphy fails 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98425 wifi: mac80211: don't warn when an IBSS has no channel to scan 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98426 wifi: mwifiex: fix IRQ leak using wrong index in MSI-X error path 1d
Unknown CVE-2026-98427 net/sched: codel: bound the dropping loop per dequeue call 1d

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
No CWE classification.
No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2025-68785 is "net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action", rated High. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. CVSS 7.1 describes technical severity. EPSS 0.16% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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