🟠 High | Source: The Hacker News
A memory corruption vulnerability (CVE-2026-64531) in the Linux kernel’s Open vSwitch datapath allows an unprivileged local user to escalate privileges to root. The flaw affects a wide range of default-configured Linux distributions, and a public exploit is already available with pre-built payloads targeting around 800 kernel versions. This makes exploitation straightforward even for less sophisticated attackers.
Security Architect’s Take: Prioritise patching affected Linux kernel versions across all compute workloads, particularly cloud VMs and container hosts running Open vSwitch — apply vendor-supplied kernel updates immediately or, where patching is not immediately possible, restrict local user access and consider disabling or unloading the openvswitch kernel module if it is not required.
Original advisory: New OVSwrap Linux Kernel Flaw Lets Local Users Gain Root via Open vSwitch