# CVE-2026-68341: ovpn: fix use after free in unlock_ovpn()

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ovpn module allows attackers to potentially execute code or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** High 8.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Any signed-in user
- **Attackable:** Over the internet
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 10 Aug 2026
- **Updated:** 17 Aug 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-68341, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-68341, GHSA-998j-mxm9-vqxj, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-68341

## What is CVE-2026-68341?

CVE-2026-68341 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.

### Official description

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

ovpn: fix use after free in unlock_ovpn()

unlock_ovpn() iterates over the release_list using llist_for_each_entry()
and drops the peer reference inside the loop body via ovpn_peer_put().

If this drops the last reference, the peer is eventually freed. However,
llist_for_each_entry() reads peer->release_entry.next in the loop advance
expression, which runs after the body. By that time the peer may have
already been freed, resulting in a use after free when advancing to the
next list entry.

Fix this by using llist_for_each_entry_safe(), which caches the next
pointer before executing the loop body.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-68341?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-68341?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-68341 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68341 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-68341 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-68341 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 10 Aug 2026. Any signed-in user can exploit it over the network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-68341 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-2026-68341/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68341/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-68341
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-68341
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-68341

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-68341/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.