CVE-2026-98040

NameCVE-2026-98040
DescriptionIn 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.
SourceCVE (at NVD; CERT, ENISA, LWN, oss-sec, fulldisc, Debian ELTS, Red Hat, Ubuntu, Gentoo, SUSE bugzilla/CVE, GitHub advisories/code/issues, web search, more)

Vulnerable and fixed packages

The table below lists information on source packages.

Source PackageReleaseVersionStatus
linux (PTS)bookworm6.1.176-1fixed
bookworm (security)6.1.187-1fixed
trixie6.12.107-1fixed
trixie (security)6.12.113-1fixed
forky7.2.9-1fixed
sid7.2.11-1fixed

The information below is based on the following data on fixed versions.

PackageTypeReleaseFixed VersionUrgencyOriginDebian Bugs
linuxsourcebookworm(not affected)
linuxsourcetrixie(not affected)
linuxsource(unstable)7.2.7-1

Notes

[trixie] - linux <not-affected> (Vulnerable code not present)
[bookworm] - linux <not-affected> (Vulnerable code not present)
https://git.kernel.org/linus/6aed0134d3cda6382385a734ae0158eb7df6b142 (7.3-rc2)

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