In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: fix use-after-free of the flow table mask array tbl_mask_array_realloc() retires the old mask_array before it stops being reachable: old = ovsl_der…

Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: openvswitch: fix use-after-free of the flow table mask array

tbl_mask_array_realloc() retires the old mask_array before it stops being reachable:

old = ovsl_dereference(tbl->mask_array);
if (old) {
	...
	call_rcu(&old->rcu, mask_array_rcu_cb);
}

rcu_assign_pointer(tbl->mask_array, new);

call_rcu() only waits for read-side critical sections already in flight. tbl->mask_array still points at old between the call_rcu() and the rcu_assign_pointer(), so a reader entering ovs_flow_tbl_lookup_stats() in that window picks up old in a fresh critical section that the pending grace period does not cover.

tbl_mask_array_realloc() runs in process context under ovs_mutex, so the window is preemptible and can outlast the grace period. Then mask_array_rcu_cb() frees old before the swap runs:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in flow_lookup.constprop.0+0x2bf/0x2f0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888020b3e018 by task poc/741 flow_lookup.constprop.0+0x2bf/0x2f0 ovs_flow_tbl_lookup_stats+0x4a3/0x5c0 ovs_dp_process_packet+0x19c/0x710 ovs_vport_receive+0x243/0x390 internal_dev_xmit+0x81/0x170 Freed by task 728: kfree+0x16a/0x4e0 rcu_core+0x853/0x1030

Publish the new array before retiring the old one. The kfree_rcu() that call_rcu() replaced ran after the swap.

Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

Vendor advisories

• Red Hat VEX · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9, … · updated 2026-09-29 · vex