# CVE-2026-46165: openvswitch: vport: fix self-deadlock on release of tunnel ports

> A self-deadlock in the Linux kernel's Open vSwitch module causes a denial of service when releasing tunnel ports.

- **Severity:** Medium 5.5 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/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:** 28 May 2026
- **Updated:** 15 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-88821, BELL-CVE-2026-46165, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-46165, GHSA-gwmf-r7m2-pphm, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-46165, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-46165

## What is CVE-2026-46165?

CVE-2026-46165 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 28 May 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:

openvswitch: vport: fix self-deadlock on release of tunnel ports

vports are used concurrently and protected by RCU, so netdev_put()
must happen after the RCU grace period.  So, either in an RCU call or
after the synchronize_net().  The rtnl_delete_link() must happen under
RTNL and so can't be executed in RCU context.  Calling synchronize_net()
while holding RTNL is not a good idea for performance and system
stability under load in general, so calling netdev_put() in RCU call
is the right solution here.

However,
when the device is deleted, rtnl_unlock() will call netdev_run_todo()
and block until all the references are gone.  In the current code this
means that we never reach the call_rcu() and the vport is never freed
and the reference is never released, causing a self-deadlock on device
removal.

Fix that by moving the rcu_call() before the rtnl_unlock(), so the
scheduled RCU callback will be executed when synchronize_net() is
called from the rtnl_unlock()->netdev_run_todo() while the RTNL itself
is already released.

Weakness: CWE-667 (Improper Locking)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-46165?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-46165?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-46165 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-46165 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-2026-46165 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-46165 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 28 May 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-2026-46165 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-2026-46165/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46165/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-46165
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-46165
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-46165

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-46165/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.