CVE-2026-99025 — openvswitch: fix soft lockup in the netlink flow dump
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: openvswitch: fix soft lockup in the netlink flow dump A production compute node carrying a few thousand datapath flows hit a soft lockup inside a single netlink flow dump and panicked. ovs_flow_cmd_dump() calls ovs_flow_stats_get() for every flow it emits, and that releases stats->lock with spin_unlock_bh() once per CPU that has touched the flow. Every release is a local_bh_enable(), and each one runs the pending softirq backlog in the dumping thread's own context. The skb bounds the flows one callback emits, but not the softirq work it absorbs. On a CPU that carries the box's packet load the backlog refills as fast as it drains, so the dumping thread becomes that CPU's softirq engine. It never sleeps and it has no reschedule point, so under voluntary preemption nothing can take the CPU away from it: neither the ksoftirqd the kernel woke to take the work over, nor the stopper thread the softlockup detector dispatches to refresh its timestamp. Hold BH off across the whole callback instead, the way ctnetlink_dump_table() does, so the nested spin_unlock_bh() stop draining softirqs. The loop already runs under rcu_read_lock() and cannot sleep. What it gives up is preemption under CONFIG_PREEMPT, since a BH-off region is not preemptible outside PREEMPT_RT. The region stays short: the skb caps the flows one callback emits, and empty buckets cost no skb space but are each visited once per dump, as the cursor only moves forward. The table grows on insert and shrinks only on flush, so the walk is bounded by the largest flow count the datapath has held. The softirq backlog the callback used to absorb has no bound at all.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
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.
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 |
≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < c995c52eba1926a5e82823fa5573a6f1b1010e5d≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < b872de585edff534056c65ba30970b68499fca14≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < 55f12552b00a34ca7ab5cf2d2b5ed02f8f06a965≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < 80db24f3c16fdeef85460d9d66a4aae7a9cb92b4≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < aaaaf87ea99b8766c9a8aa0e71aa42e6bc8a5320version 3.16≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < ef77dd59cb7b7b0ac0bedd3fe9ee7a8acd8a58f2≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < 9ffb9897b39037a688ae01d0b3aea4ccce27dd75 and 1 more≥ 63e7959c4b9bd6f791061c460a22d9ee32ae2240 and < 5b6a8bbdcdd7d0fddee466c1c7fe5b7f30aa392c |
Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 24, 2026 → Oct 30, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.21%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Record published
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 3× References added · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 30, 2026
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 23, 2026 – Oct 23, 2026
References
10 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/c995c52eba1926a5e82823fa5573a6f1b1010e5d
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5b6a8bbdcdd7d0fddee466c1c7fe5b7f30aa392c
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/b872de585edff534056c65ba30970b68499fca14
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-99025
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/aaaaf87ea99b8766c9a8aa0e71aa42e6bc8a5320
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/80db24f3c16fdeef85460d9d66a4aae7a9cb92b4
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ffb9897b39037a688ae01d0b3aea4ccce27dd75
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/55f12552b00a34ca7ab5cf2d2b5ed02f8f06a965
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef77dd59cb7b7b0ac0bedd3fe9ee7a8acd8a58f2
- github.com/advisories/GHSA-25wv-6mrm-3cpw
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Unknown CVE-2026-99216 Drivers: hv: Don't reset VMBus connection state on error/exit paths 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99215 power: supply: core: prevent unregistering a power supply while a callback runs 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99207 scsi: target: Disable interrupts while holding delayed_cmd_lock 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99208 drm/xe/oa: Zero OA buffer at allocation 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99209 drm/xe: skip eviction of a BO with no resource 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-99210 accel/rocket: clear rdev on device init failure 2d
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 CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- 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-2026-99025 is "openvswitch: fix soft lockup in the netlink flow dump", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.17% 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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