PatchSiren

PatchSiren cyber security CVE debrief

CVE-2026-13698 OpenVPN CVE debrief

A memory leak vulnerability was discovered in OpenVPN versions 2.5.0 through 2.5.11, 2.6.0 through 2.6.20, and 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4. This vulnerability allows remote attackers with a valid tls-crypt-v2 client key to potentially cause a denial of service. The vulnerability is caused by a memory leak in OpenVPN, which can be exploited by remote attackers to potentially cause a denial of service. Users of OpenVPN versions 2.5.0 through 2.5.11, 2.6.0 through 2.6.20, and 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4 should be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary actions to mitigate it. The CVE record and NVD entry provide additional context, but the information available may not be exhaustive due to potential delays in updating these sources.

Vendor
OpenVPN
Product
Unknown
CVSS
MEDIUM 6
CISA KEV
Not listed in stored evidence
Original CVE published
2026-07-06
Original CVE updated
2026-07-09
Advisory published
2026-07-06
Advisory updated
2026-07-09

Who should care

Users of OpenVPN versions 2.5.0 through 2.5.11, 2.6.0 through 2.6.20, and 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4 should be aware of this vulnerability and take necessary actions to mitigate it. This includes OpenVPN administrators, security teams responsible for vulnerability management, and operators of systems that utilize OpenVPN for secure communication. The potential impact of this vulnerability is a denial-of-service condition, which could disrupt service availability and impact business operations.

Technical summary

The vulnerability is caused by a memory leak in OpenVPN, which can be exploited by remote attackers with a valid tls-crypt-v2 client key to potentially cause a denial of service. The vulnerability affects OpenVPN versions 2.5.0 through 2.5.11, 2.6.0 through 2.6.20, and 2.7_alpha1 through 2.7.4. This issue is a result of inadequate memory management within OpenVPN, allowing an attacker to consume increasing amounts of memory, potentially leading to a denial-of-service condition.

Defensive priority

Medium

Recommended defensive actions

  • Update OpenVPN to a version that is not vulnerable
  • Restrict access to OpenVPN to only trusted users
  • Monitor OpenVPN for suspicious activity
  • Review compensating controls for exposed systems while remediation is scheduled and verified
  • Check relevant monitoring, detection, and logs for exposed assets that need extra review

Evidence notes

The CVE record was published on 2026-07-06T15:16:35.140Z and was last modified on 2026-07-09T13:05:30.767Z. The NVD entry is currently Analyzed. This memory leak vulnerability in OpenVPN has been identified as a potential denial-of-service attack vector. Evidence is based on the CVE and NVD entries, which are considered reliable sources for vulnerability information. However, the exact scope of affected systems and potential impact is limited by the information available in these sources. Defenders should verify the presence of vulnerable OpenVPN versions in their environments and review the official advisory for specific guidance.

Sources and references

Verified primary and authoritative sources

  • CVE-2026-13698 CVE Program record

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-13698

    CVE Program - Official CVE Program record with source-provided CVE metadata.

  • CVE-2026-13698 NVD vulnerability detail

    Publisher, destination, and source semantics verified

    URL: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-13698

    NIST National Vulnerability Database - Official NIST NVD detail page and source-specific vulnerability assessment.

Supplemental references

Methodology and review provenance

AI-assisted synthesis based on stored public vulnerability evidence. System validation, approval state, and publication status do not by themselves establish human review of this revision. PatchSiren helps prioritize defensive review and does not prove exposure or remediation on any system.