bpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2026-98040 |
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | Linux |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2026-09-25 11:17:32 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-09-25 11:17:32 UTC |
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check
check_cond_jmp_op() accepts "if rA <op> rB" as a NULL check for a
nullable pointer rA when rB is a scalar known to be zero,
lifts PTR_MAYBE_NULL from rA in the corresponding branch and does not
mark rB precise. Consider the following program:
r0 = bpf_get_prandom_u32();
r6 = 1; /* the r6 == 0 path is explored first */
if (r0 == 0) goto 1f;
r6 = 0;
1:
r0 = bpf_map_lookup_elem(map, &0); /* absent, NULL at runtime */
if (r0 == r6) goto 2f; /* taken as a NULL check for r0 */
*(u8 *)(r0 + 0); /* verifier: map value; runtime: zero */
2:
return 0;
The r6 == 0 path is explored first and the dereference is accepted.
The r6 == 1 path is pruned at the checkpoint recorded for (1),
so the comparison is never verified with a non-zero r6. At runtime a
failed lookup returns NULL, NULL != 1 takes the non-NULL edge and the
program dereferences a pointer that is zero. |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
affected 2f4cb53eed448c1aeb6f4b40cf9c810716d8218c ddca9a3b8833168dda3e62676648a636fb3f221c git |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
affected 2f4cb53eed448c1aeb6f4b40cf9c810716d8218c 6aed0134d3cda6382385a734ae0158eb7df6b142 git |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
affected 7.1 |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
unaffected 7.1 semver |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
unaffected 7.2.7 7.2.* semver |
Not specified |
| CNA |
Linux |
Linux |
unaffected 7.3-rc2 * original_commit_for_fix |
Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/ddca9a3b8833168dda3e62676648a636fb3f221c |
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 |
git.kernel.org |
|
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aed0134d3cda6382385a734ae0158eb7df6b142 |
416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 |
git.kernel.org |
|
| CVE Program record |
CVE.ORG |
www.cve.org |
canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail |
NVD |
nvd.nist.gov |
canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.