bpf: NUL-terminate replaced sysctl value

Summary

CVECVE-2026-97420
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2026-09-24 17:17:19 UTC
Updated2026-09-25 13:17:25 UTC
DescriptionIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: NUL-terminate replaced sysctl value When writing to sysctls, proc_sys_call_handler() guarantees that the buffer passed to proc handlers is NUL-terminated. If bpf_sysctl_set_new_value() replaces the pending sysctl value, it can hand a replacement buffer directly to proc handlers. However, the helper currently copies only buf_len bytes into that buffer without appending a NUL terminator, leaving downstream parsers vulnerable to out-of-bounds access. Fix this by appending a '\0' after the replaced value to restore the expected sysctl semantics. Since the helper already rejects buf_len greater than PAGE_SIZE - 1, there is always room for the extra byte. Reproduced in a QEMU x86_64 guest booted with KASAN while exercising the sysctl replacement path with a cgroup/sysctl BPF program. The reproducer targets `/proc/sys/net/core/flow_limit_cpu_bitmap`, fills the original user write buffer with non-zero bytes, and overrides the sysctl value so the replacement buffer lacks a terminating NUL. Under that setup, the pre-fix kernel reported: BUG: KASAN: slab-out-of-bounds in strnchrnul+0x72/0x90 Read of size 1 at addr ffff88800de57000 by task repro_patch3/66 CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 66 Comm: repro_patch3 Not tainted 7.1.0-rc3-00269-g8370ca1f87cc #6 PREEMPT(lazy) Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.15.0-1 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x68/0xa0 print_report+0xcb/0x5e0 ? __virt_addr_valid+0x21d/0x3f0 ? strnchrnul+0x72/0x90 ? strnchrnul+0x72/0x90 kasan_report+0xca/0x100 ? strnchrnul+0x72/0x90 strnchrnul+0x72/0x90 bitmap_parse+0x37/0x2e0 flow_limit_cpu_sysctl+0xc6/0x840 ? __pfx_flow_limit_cpu_sysctl+0x10/0x10 ? __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x5ba/0x870 proc_sys_call_handler+0x31d/0x480 ? __pfx_proc_sys_call_handler+0x10/0x10 ? selinux_file_permission+0x39f/0x500 ? lock_is_held_type+0x9e/0x120 vfs_write+0x98e/0x1000 ... </TASK> The buggy address is located 0 bytes to the right of allocated 4096-byte region [ffff88800de56000, ffff88800de57000) With this fix applied, rerunning the same sysctl-targeted path yields no corresponding KASAN reports.

Risk And Classification

EPSS: 0.001660000 probability, percentile 0.051950000 (date 2026-09-25)

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected 32927393dc1ccd60fb2bdc05b9e8e88753761469 76c14b10f50eb0afcc76e244562fa2d8c661e224 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 32927393dc1ccd60fb2bdc05b9e8e88753761469 3b2814dd842a565fcf9cc370156e1ba9eae16239 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 32927393dc1ccd60fb2bdc05b9e8e88753761469 a66e3b5bacf38d6ab29fa05a9754f7a114485605 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5.8 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.8 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.12.111 6.12.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.18.53 6.18.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 7.2 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/a66e3b5bacf38d6ab29fa05a9754f7a114485605 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/3b2814dd842a565fcf9cc370156e1ba9eae16239 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/76c14b10f50eb0afcc76e244562fa2d8c661e224 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org
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