CVE-2026-98040 (GCVE-0-2026-98040)
Vulnerability from cvelistv5
Published
2026-09-25 10:23
Modified
2026-10-19 09:12
Severity ?
VLAI Severity ?
EPSS score ?
Summary
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.
References
Impacted products
{
"containers": {
"cna": {
"affected": [
{
"defaultStatus": "unaffected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"kernel/bpf/verifier.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"lessThan": "ddca9a3b8833168dda3e62676648a636fb3f221c",
"status": "affected",
"version": "2f4cb53eed448c1aeb6f4b40cf9c810716d8218c",
"versionType": "git"
},
{
"lessThan": "6aed0134d3cda6382385a734ae0158eb7df6b142",
"status": "affected",
"version": "2f4cb53eed448c1aeb6f4b40cf9c810716d8218c",
"versionType": "git"
}
]
},
{
"defaultStatus": "affected",
"product": "Linux",
"programFiles": [
"kernel/bpf/verifier.c"
],
"repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
"vendor": "Linux",
"versions": [
{
"status": "affected",
"version": "7.1"
},
{
"lessThan": "7.1",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "0",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "7.2.*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.2.7",
"versionType": "semver"
},
{
"lessThanOrEqual": "*",
"status": "unaffected",
"version": "7.3",
"versionType": "original_commit_for_fix"
}
]
}
],
"cpeApplicability": [
{
"nodes": [
{
"cpeMatch": [
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.2.7",
"versionStartIncluding": "7.1",
"vulnerable": true
},
{
"criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*",
"versionEndExcluding": "7.3",
"versionStartIncluding": "7.1",
"vulnerable": true
}
],
"negate": false,
"operator": "OR"
}
]
}
],
"descriptions": [
{
"lang": "en",
"value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nbpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check\n\ncheck_cond_jmp_op() accepts \"if rA \u003cop\u003e rB\" as a NULL check for a\nnullable pointer rA when rB is a scalar known to be zero,\nlifts PTR_MAYBE_NULL from rA in the corresponding branch and does not\nmark rB precise. Consider the following program:\n\n r0 = bpf_get_prandom_u32();\n r6 = 1; /* the r6 == 0 path is explored first */\n if (r0 == 0) goto 1f;\n r6 = 0;\n1:\n r0 = bpf_map_lookup_elem(map, \u00260); /* absent, NULL at runtime */\n if (r0 == r6) goto 2f; /* taken as a NULL check for r0 */\n *(u8 *)(r0 + 0); /* verifier: map value; runtime: zero */\n2:\n return 0;\n\nThe r6 == 0 path is explored first and the dereference is accepted.\nThe r6 == 1 path is pruned at the checkpoint recorded for (1),\nso the comparison is never verified with a non-zero r6. At runtime a\nfailed lookup returns NULL, NULL != 1 takes the non-NULL edge and the\nprogram dereferences a pointer that is zero."
}
],
"providerMetadata": {
"dateUpdated": "2026-10-19T09:12:46.084Z",
"orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"shortName": "Linux"
},
"references": [
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ddca9a3b8833168dda3e62676648a636fb3f221c"
},
{
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aed0134d3cda6382385a734ae0158eb7df6b142"
}
],
"title": "bpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check",
"x_generator": {
"engine": "bippy-1.2.0"
}
}
},
"cveMetadata": {
"assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67",
"assignerShortName": "Linux",
"cveId": "CVE-2026-98040",
"datePublished": "2026-09-25T10:23:53.001Z",
"dateReserved": "2026-09-25T10:19:56.071Z",
"dateUpdated": "2026-10-19T09:12:46.084Z",
"state": "PUBLISHED"
},
"dataType": "CVE_RECORD",
"dataVersion": "5.2"
}
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Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
- Seen: The vulnerability was mentioned, discussed, or seen somewhere by the user.
- Confirmed: The vulnerability is confirmed from an analyst perspective.
- Published Proof of Concept: A public proof of concept is available for this vulnerability.
- Exploited: This vulnerability was exploited and seen by the user reporting the sighting.
- Patched: This vulnerability was successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
- Not exploited: This vulnerability was not exploited or seen by the user reporting the sighting.
- Not confirmed: The user expresses doubt about the veracity of the vulnerability.
- Not patched: This vulnerability was not successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.
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