# CVE-2024-38558: net: openvswitch: fix overwriting ct original tuple for ICMPv6

> A logic error in the Linux kernel Open vSwitch module incorrectly overwrites conntrack metadata for ICMPv6 packets, leading to incorrect packet matching and potential execution of wrong actions.

- **Severity:** Critical 10.0 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 19 Jun 2024
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-38558, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-38558, GHSA-v5cj-xc9v-xg6m, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-38558

## What is CVE-2024-38558?

CVE-2024-38558 is a critical vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

net: openvswitch: fix overwriting ct original tuple for ICMPv6

OVS_PACKET_CMD_EXECUTE has 3 main attributes:
 - OVS_PACKET_ATTR_KEY - Packet metadata in a netlink format.
 - OVS_PACKET_ATTR_PACKET - Binary packet content.
 - OVS_PACKET_ATTR_ACTIONS - Actions to execute on the packet.

OVS_PACKET_ATTR_KEY is parsed first to populate sw_flow_key structure
with the metadata like conntrack state, input port, recirculation id,
etc.  Then the packet itself gets parsed to populate the rest of the
keys from the packet headers.

Whenever the packet parsing code starts parsing the ICMPv6 header, it
first zeroes out fields in the key corresponding to Neighbor Discovery
information even if it is not an ND packet.

It is an 'ipv6.nd' field.  However, the 'ipv6' is a union that shares
the space between 'nd' and 'ct_orig' that holds the original tuple
conntrack metadata parsed from the OVS_PACKET_ATTR_KEY.

ND packets should not normally have conntrack state, so it's fine to
share the space, but normal ICMPv6 Echo packets or maybe other types of
ICMPv6 can have the state attached and it should not be overwritten.

The issue results in all but the last 4 bytes of the destination
address being wiped from the original conntrack tuple leading to
incorrect packet matching and potentially executing wrong actions
in case this packet recirculates within the datapath or goes back
to userspace.

ND fields should not be accessed in non-ND packets, so not clearing
them should be fine.  Executing memset() only for actual ND packets to
avoid the issue.

Initializing the whole thing before parsing is needed because ND packet
may not contain all the options.

The issue only affects the OVS_PACKET_CMD_EXECUTE path and doesn't
affect packets entering OVS datapath from network interfaces, because
in this case CT metadata is populated from skb after the packet is
already parsed.

Weakness: CWE-665 (Improper Initialization)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-38558?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2024-38558?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2024-38558 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38558 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel

- [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild)
- [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild)

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2024-38558 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2024-38558 is a critical vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 19 Jun 2024. An attacker can exploit it over the internet without logging in, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-38558 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38558/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38558/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38558
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-38558
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-38558

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-38558/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.