CVE-2024-38558: Linux kernel · net: openvswitch: fix overwriting ct original tuple for ICMPv6 OVS_PACKET_CMD_EXECUTE
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 10.0 Critical · fixed in 4.15.0-1186.201~14.04.1 : patch Linux kernel as a priority.
Data as of 12 Nov 2026, 19:04 UTC
- Patch
- Available – fixed in 4.15.0-1186.201~14.04.1, 4.15.0-1178.191~16.04.1, 4.15.0-1186.201~16.04.1 +89
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 19 Jun 2024
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponized: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 12 Nov 2026.
What to do
Upgrade to a fixed release listed under Affected software.
Patches and advisories
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6949-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6951-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6952-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6953-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6955-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6949-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6952-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6951-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6951-3 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6951-4 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6979-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-7007-1 (opens in a new tab)
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Ubuntu 24.04 LTSlinux-ibmpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-ibm?arch=source&distro=nobleOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in
|
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
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.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2024-38558 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-38558 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/linus/7c988176b6c16c516474f6fceebe0f055af5eb56 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6a51ac92bf35d34b4996d6eb67e2fe469f573b11 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/0b532f59437f688563e9c58bdc1436fefa46e3b5 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/5ab6aecbede080b44b8e34720ab72050bf1e6982 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/483eb70f441e2df66ade78aa7217e6e4caadfef3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ec8b0ccadb908d92f7ee211a4eff05fd932f3f6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/78741b4caae1e880368cb2f5110635f3ce45ecfd (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/431e9215576d7b728f3f53a704d237a520092120 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/d73fb8bddf89503c9fae7c42e50d44c89909aad6 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/7c988176b6c16c516474f6fceebe0f055af5eb56 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6949-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6951-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6952-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6953-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6955-1 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6949-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6952-2 (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6951-2 (opens in a new tab)