# CVE-2026-80753: ovpn: run deferred work on a module-owned workqueue

> A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel ovpn module allows attackers to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service via race conditions during module unloading.

- **Severity:** High 8.4 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`)
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** Not needed
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 3 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 7 Sep 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-80753, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-80753, GHSA-v4xm-q8j7-q9wj, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-80753

## What is CVE-2026-80753?

CVE-2026-80753 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 3 Sep 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:

ovpn: run deferred work on a module-owned workqueue

ovpn queues several work items whose callbacks execute module text.
These works currently run on the global system workqueues, so module
exit has no driver-owned drain point that guarantees the callbacks have
fully returned before the module text can be freed.

Object references protect the objects used by the callbacks, but they do
not prove that a workqueue function has returned. In particular, a
worker can drop the final reference that unblocks device teardown while
it is still executing ovpn code.

Add a module-owned workqueue and queue all ovpn work items on it. During
module exit, unregister rtnl and netlink first, flush the workqueue so
ordinary ovpn workers finish, run the final RCU barrier, and destroy the
workqueue last. This keeps the workqueue available for cleanup work
queued from RCU callbacks, while ensuring no ovpn work item can outlive
the module text.

The per-device delayed keepalive work remains explicitly disabled during
netdev teardown (disable_delayed_work_sync in ndo_uninit), since
flush_workqueue does not flush delayed work that is still only pending
on its timer.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-80753?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-80753?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-80753 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-80753 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-80753 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-80753 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 3 Sep 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-2026-80753 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-2026-80753/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80753/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-80753
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80753
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-80753

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-80753/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.