CVE-2022-49086

net: openvswitch: fix leak of nested actions

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Published Feb 26, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

net: openvswitch: fix leak of nested actions

While parsing user-provided actions, openvswitch module may dynamically
allocate memory and store pointers in the internal copy of the actions.
So this memory has to be freed while destroying the actions.

Currently there are only two such actions: ct() and set(). However,
there are many actions that can hold nested lists of actions and
ovs_nla_free_flow_actions() just jumps over them leaking the memory.

For example, removal of the flow with the following actions will lead
to a leak of the memory allocated by nf_ct_tmpl_alloc():

actions:clone(ct(commit),0)

Non-freed set() action may also leak the 'dst' structure for the
tunnel info including device references.

Under certain conditions with a high rate of flow rotation that may
cause significant memory leak problem (2MB per second in reporter's
case). The problem is also hard to mitigate, because the user doesn't
have direct control over the datapath flows generated by OVS.

Fix that by iterating over all the nested actions and freeing
everything that needs to be freed recursively.

New build time assertion should protect us from this problem if new
actions will be added in the future.

Unfortunately, openvswitch module doesn't use NLA_F_NESTED, so all
attributes has to be explicitly checked. sample() and clone() actions
are mixing extra attributes into the user-provided action list. That
prevents some code generalization too.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2022-55118 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: fix leak of nested actions While parsing user-provided actions, openvswitch module may dynamically allocate memory and store pointers in the internal copy of the actions. So this memory has to be freed while destroying the actions. Currently there are only two such actions: ct() and set(). However, there are many actions that can hold nested lists of actions and ovs_nla_free_flow_actions() just jumps over them leaking the memory. For example, removal of the flow with the following actions will lead to a leak of the memory allocated by nf_ct_tmpl_alloc(): actions:clone(ct(commit),0) Non-freed set() action may also leak the 'dst' structure for the tunnel info including device references. Under certain conditions with a high rate of flow rotation that may cause significant memory leak problem (2MB per second in reporter's case). The problem is also hard to mitigate, because the user doesn't have direct control over the datapath flows generated by OVS. Fix that by iterating over all the nested actions and freeing everything that needs to be freed recursively. New build time assertion should protect us from this problem if new actions will be added in the future. Unfortunately, openvswitch module doesn't use NLA_F_NESTED, so all attributes has to be explicitly checked. sample() and clone() actions are mixing extra attributes into the user-provided action list. That prevents some code generalization too.
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Weaknesses CWE-401
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.18:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: openvswitch: fix leak of nested actions While parsing user-provided actions, openvswitch module may dynamically allocate memory and store pointers in the internal copy of the actions. So this memory has to be freed while destroying the actions. Currently there are only two such actions: ct() and set(). However, there are many actions that can hold nested lists of actions and ovs_nla_free_flow_actions() just jumps over them leaking the memory. For example, removal of the flow with the following actions will lead to a leak of the memory allocated by nf_ct_tmpl_alloc(): actions:clone(ct(commit),0) Non-freed set() action may also leak the 'dst' structure for the tunnel info including device references. Under certain conditions with a high rate of flow rotation that may cause significant memory leak problem (2MB per second in reporter's case). The problem is also hard to mitigate, because the user doesn't have direct control over the datapath flows generated by OVS. Fix that by iterating over all the nested actions and freeing everything that needs to be freed recursively. New build time assertion should protect us from this problem if new actions will be added in the future. Unfortunately, openvswitch module doesn't use NLA_F_NESTED, so all attributes has to be explicitly checked. sample() and clone() actions are mixing extra attributes into the user-provided action list. That prevents some code generalization too.
Title net: openvswitch: fix leak of nested actions
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
May 11, 2026, 6:52 PM
Reserved
Feb 26, 2025, 1:49 AM

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No data.

Status
Analyzed
Published
Feb 26, 2025, 7:00 AM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 5:17 AM

View source JSON

Severity
Moderate
Public date
Feb 26, 2025, 12:00 AM

View source Bugzilla JSON

No data.