CVE-2026-80520: Linux kernel · ovpn: fix NULL dereference when killing missing key
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited · CVSS 7.5 High.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC
- EPSS
- 0.6% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 48% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:HExploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 26 Aug 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: 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 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix for this vulnerability has been implemented in the Linux kernel. Users should apply the official kernel updates provided by their Linux distribution to remediate this issue. Since this is not a cloud service, remediation depends on applying the vendor's kernel patches. No additional mitigation steps are indicated.
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ovpn: fix NULL dereference when killing missing key ovpn_crypto_kill_key assumes both crypto slots are populated and dereferences each slot before checking it. That is not guaranteed: a peer can have only one installed key, and the kill path may be asked to remove a key that is not present. Read each slot once while holding the crypto state lock, check for NULL before looking at key_id, and only replace the slot that actually matches.
References
- nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-80520 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/41d44ac7a61e2f74453af40d4fe1b82af9ea0ada (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a47a080d06ee9d94dc6a2da0fc2b9beeeedb92b3 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/acf32a5dff082044cf0fd9492f3c10b7357c15ee (opens in a new tab)
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-80520 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-80520 (opens in a new tab)