CVE-2026-98603

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ovpn: replace bind when clearing stale local source The UDP output fallback clears bind->local in place when the remembered source address is no longer usable. The bind is RCU-published and read locklessly by concurrent TX, so an IPv6 reader can observe a torn address. Retry the route lookup with source address autoselection without modifying the bind. After a successful lookup, revalidate the bind and route key under peer->lock, reset the dst cache, and best-effort publish a replacement bind with a wildcard local address. Do not cache the resolved dst when clearing the local source. Replacing the source invalidates all per-CPU cache entries, while dst_cache_set_ip4 and dst_cache_set_ip6 update only the current CPU slot. The current packet can still use the resolved route; if bind allocation fails, a later cache miss retries the repair.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-10-18
Last modified 2026-10-18
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.16 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.16
Fixed in
✓ 6.18.55 6.18.x ✓ 7.2.9 7.2.x ✓ 7.3

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-98603?

    CVE-2026-98603 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.16 onward and has been patched in 6.18.55, 7.2.9 and 7.3. CVE-2026-98603 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98603?

    Yes. CVE-2026-98603 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.18.55, 7.2.9 and 7.3. If you are running Linux kernel 6.16 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-98603 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-98603 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.