OpenVPN: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
CVE-2026-12932 is a high-severity missing release of memory after effective lifetime vulnerability in OpenVPN, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 8.1 out of 10. It can be exploited remotely over the network by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. Affected OpenVPN versions: 2.5.0 through 2.6.20; 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4. The record does not name a fixed version, so check the vendor advisory. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.42% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Check which version of OpenVPN you run against the affected versions below, and install the vendor's latest release.
- Read the advisory on community.openvpn.net for workarounds and exact fixed builds.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| OpenVPN | OpenVPN | 2.5.0 through 2.6.20; 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4 | Not stated |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- NetworkCan be exploited remotely over a network, including the internet.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- NoneNothing can be modified.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:N/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 4.0 | 7.1 | High | CNA (openvpn.net) |
| CVSS 3.1 | 8.1 | High | NVD |
Official description
A memory leak in the tls-crypt-v2 client key extraction in OpenVPN 2.5.0 through 2.6.20 and 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4 allows remote attackers to cause a denial of service (memory exhaustion) via a flood of crafted packets
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime
The product does not sufficiently track and release allocated memory after it has been used, making the memory unavailable for reallocation and reuse.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language or tool that provides automatic memory management, or makes manual memory management less error-prone. For example, glibc in Linux provides protection against free of invalid pointers. When using Xcode to target OS X or iOS, enable automatic reference counting (ARC). To help correctly and consistently manage memory when programming in C++, consider using a smart pointer class such as std
- Use an abstraction library to abstract away risky APIs. Not a complete solution.
- Consider using the Boehm-Demers-Weiser garbage collector (bdwgc), which can help avoid leaks.
More Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities (CWE-401)
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: partial).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Other vulnerabilities in OpenVPN
- 7.2 High severity
- 7.1 High severity
- 8.7 High severity
- 7.7 High severity
- 8.5 High severity
- 9.1 Critical severity
Recent Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime vulnerabilities
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
- 7.0 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.8 High severity
- 7.5 High severity
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