BPF CFI Configuration Flaw in Linux Kernel

Publication date: 2026-06-24

Last updated on: 2026-07-14

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Switch CONFIG_CFI_CLANG to CONFIG_CFI This was renamed in commit 23ef9d439769 ("kcfi: Rename CONFIG_CFI_CLANG to CONFIG_CFI") as it is now a compiler-agnostic option. Using the wrong name results in the code getting compiled out. Meaning the CFI failures for btf_dtor_kfunc_t would still trigger.

CVSS Scores

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Meta Information

Published

2026-06-24

Last Modified

2026-07-14

Generated

2026-07-15

AI Q&A

2026-06-24

EPSS Evaluated

2026-07-13

NVD

CVE-2026-53099

EUVD

EUVD-2026-38967

Affected Vendors & Products

Vendor	Product	Version / Range
linux	linux_kernel	*

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

CWE

KEV

CWE ID	Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

Attack-Flow Graph

Executive Summary

This vulnerability relates to the Linux kernel's configuration for Control Flow Integrity (CFI). Specifically, the configuration option named CONFIG_CFI_CLANG was renamed to CONFIG_CFI to make it compiler-agnostic. If the old name is used, the relevant code is compiled out, which means that CFI failures related to btf_dtor_kfunc_t would still occur and not be properly handled.

Impact Analysis

If the Linux kernel is compiled with the incorrect configuration name (CONFIG_CFI_CLANG instead of CONFIG_CFI), the Control Flow Integrity protections for certain kernel functions (btf_dtor_kfunc_t) will not be active. This could allow CFI failures to go undetected, potentially leading to security issues such as exploitation of kernel code execution or bypassing security mechanisms.

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