CVE-2026-64531 is a security vulnerability affecting the Linux Kernel Open vSwitch (OVS) networking subsystem.
The flaw exists in the handling of Netlink nested attributes, where oversized action structures can bypass size limitations and potentially trigger unsafe kernel memory operations.
⚠️ A successful exploitation may result in kernel crashes, denial of service, or possible privilege escalation.
| 🏷️ Field | 📌 Details |
|---|---|
| CVE | CVE-2026-64531 |
| Platform | Linux Kernel |
| Component | Open vSwitch |
| File | net/openvswitch/flow_netlink.c |
| Type | Memory Corruption |
| Severity | 🔴 High Risk |
| Attack Surface | Kernel Networking |
Attacker
|
|
v
+---------------------+
| Malformed OVS Flow |
| Netlink Attributes |
+---------------------+
|
v
+---------------------+
| Open vSwitch Parser |
+---------------------+
|
v
+---------------------+
| Kernel Memory Issue |
+---------------------+
|
v
💥 Kernel Crash
The vulnerability is caused by incorrect validation of nested action sizes.
The affected code relies on a:
u16 length fieldwhich cannot safely represent values larger than:
65535 bytes
Oversized action containers may cause incorrect processing of:
⚡ CLONE
⚡ CT
⚡ SAMPLE
⚡ DEC_TTL
⚡ CHECK_PKT_LEN
Possible security impact:
🔴 Kernel Panic
🔴 Denial of Service
🔴 Virtual Network Disruption
🟠 Potential Privilege Escalation
Affected environments:
☁️ Cloud infrastructure
🖥️ Virtualization hosts
🌐 SDN networks
🔀 Open vSwitch deployments
uname -rsystemctl status openvswitchlsmod | grep openvswitchsudo apt update
sudo apt upgradesudo rebootsudo systemctl disable --now openvswitchThe security patch introduces:
✅ Maximum attribute size validation
✅ Protection against U16_MAX overflow
✅ Safer memory cleanup
✅ Improved recursive action handling
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Confidentiality | 🟡 Low |
| Integrity | 🟠 Medium |
| Availability | 🔴 High |
| Exploit Complexity | 🟠 Medium |
This vulnerability highlights the importance of:
🔹 Secure kernel parsing
🔹 Proper length validation
🔹 Defensive Netlink handling
🔹 Memory safety practices
🔗 Linux Kernel Security Advisories
🔗 NVD Database
🔗 Open vSwitch Security Updates
This repository is intended for:
✅ Security research
✅ Vulnerability analysis
✅ Defensive testing
❌ Do not use against systems without authorization.
🔥 CVE-2026-64531 Research Repository 🔥
Made for cybersecurity learning & defensive research.
