CVE-2026-98132
Received Received - Intake

Linux Kernel BPF Stack Zero Spill Vulnerability

Vulnerability report for CVE-2026-98132, including description, CVSS score, EPSS score, affected products, exploitability, helpful resources, and attack-flow context.

Publication date: 2026-09-25

Last updated on: 2026-09-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: don't downgrade half-dead scalar zero spills to STACK_ZERO states.c:__clean_func_state() can downgrade scalar zero spill to STACK_ZERO in the following case: *(u64 *)(r10 - 8) = 0; ... checkpoint ... r1 = *(u32 *)(r10 - 4); ... no reads from r10-8 ... Here 4 bytes at r10-8 are dead and verifier changes scalar spill to a combination: 0000pppp (p stands for poison). Such a change breaks precision propagation chains. All places that produce STACK_ZERO should call bpf_mark_chain_precision() for the zero source. This patch fixes the bug in a simplest way possible: avoids converting stack spills of zero to STACK_ZERO. Two smarter approaches are possible: - do bpf_mark_chain_precision() from __clean_func_state() - check slot liveness information in check_stack_write_fixed_off() I investigated both and the changes required are a bit tricky, hence go with a simple fix for the time being.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-09-25
Last Modified
2026-09-25
Generated
2026-09-25
AI Q&A
2026-09-25
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
EUVD

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 1 associated CPE
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel *

Helpful Resources

Exploitability

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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This vulnerability in the Linux kernel involves a bug in the BPF (Berkeley Packet Filter) verifier. The issue occurs when the verifier incorrectly converts a zero spill to a STACK_ZERO operation, which can break precision propagation chains in the code. This happens when certain memory writes are marked as dead but still processed, leading to potential incorrect behavior in BPF programs.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could allow an attacker to execute arbitrary code or cause a denial of service in the Linux kernel by exploiting the BPF verifier's incorrect handling of zero spills. This may lead to system crashes, privilege escalation, or unauthorized access if the kernel is running untrusted BPF programs.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest patched version to resolve this BPF verifier issue. Monitor kernel updates from your distribution and apply them promptly.

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