# CVE-2025-68785: net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action

> A missing validation in the Linux kernel's Open vSwitch module allows out-of-bounds memory access, potentially leading to system crashes or code execution.

- **Severity:** High 7.1 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 13 Jan 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-74336, BELL-CVE-2025-68785, DEBIAN-CVE-2025-68785, GHSA-fj9x-7f49-3p3c, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2025-68785, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2025-68785, UBUNTU-CVE-2025-68785

## What is CVE-2025-68785?

CVE-2025-68785 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 13 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

net: openvswitch: fix middle attribute validation in push_nsh() action

The push_nsh() action structure looks like this:

 OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH(OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH(OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE,...))

The outermost OVS_ACTION_ATTR_PUSH_NSH attribute is OK'ed by the
nla_for_each_nested() inside __ovs_nla_copy_actions().  The innermost
OVS_NSH_KEY_ATTR_BASE/MD1/MD2 are OK'ed by the nla_for_each_nested()
inside nsh_key_put_from_nlattr().  But nothing checks if the attribute
in the middle is OK.  We don't even check that this attribute is the
OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH.  We just do a double unwrap with a pair of nla_data()
calls - first time directly while calling validate_push_nsh() and the
second time as part of the nla_for_each_nested() macro, which isn't
safe, potentially causing invalid memory access if the size of this
attribute is incorrect.  The failure may not be noticed during
validation due to larger netlink buffer, but cause trouble later during
action execution where the buffer is allocated exactly to the size:

 BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch]
 Read of size 184 at addr ffff88816459a634 by task a.out/22624

 CPU: 8 UID: 0 PID: 22624 6.18.0-rc7+ #115 PREEMPT(voluntary)
 Call Trace:
  <TASK>
  dump_stack_lvl+0x51/0x70
  print_address_description.constprop.0+0x2c/0x390
  kasan_report+0xdd/0x110
  kasan_check_range+0x35/0x1b0
  __asan_memcpy+0x20/0x60
  nsh_hdr_from_nlattr+0x1dd/0x6a0 [openvswitch]
  push_nsh+0x82/0x120 [openvswitch]
  do_execute_actions+0x1405/0x2840 [openvswitch]
  ovs_execute_actions+0xd5/0x3b0 [openvswitch]
  ovs_packet_cmd_execute+0x949/0xdb0 [openvswitch]
  genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1d6/0x2b0
  genl_family_rcv_msg+0x336/0x580
  genl_rcv_msg+0x9f/0x130
  netlink_rcv_skb+0x11f/0x370
  genl_rcv+0x24/0x40
  netlink_unicast+0x73e/0xaa0
  netlink_sendmsg+0x744/0xbf0
  __sys_sendto+0x3d6/0x450
  do_syscall_64+0x79/0x2c0
  entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
  </TASK>

Let's add some checks that the attribute is properly sized and it's
the only one attribute inside the action.  Technically, there is no
real reason for OVS_KEY_ATTR_NSH to be there, as we know that we're
pushing an NSH header already, it just creates extra nesting, but
that's how uAPI works today.  So, keeping as it is.

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2025-68785?


## How do I fix CVE-2025-68785?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2025-68785 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68785 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2025-68785 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2025-68785 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 13 Jan 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2025-68785 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2025-68785/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68785/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2025-68785
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-68785
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2025-68785

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2025-68785/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.