Evidence-led vulnerability intelligence · 2026-10-18 21:47 IST

CVE-2026-98613

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Bound ownership depth through local kptrs and graph roots Program-allocated objects can own other local objects through referenced kptrs. bpf_obj_free_fields() follows those pointers through __bpf_obj_drop_impl() synchronously, before the object storage is freed through RCU. A self-referential local kptr type therefore permits arbitrarily deep object chains, and dropping the head can exhaust the kernel stack. Long acyclic type chains have the same problem. btf_check_and_fixup_fields() still assumes referenced kptrs only point to kernel types and checks ownership through list and rbtree roots only. Its existing rule is sufficient for graph-only cycles: the target of each graph edge must contain a node, so every type in a cycle has both a root and a node. The rule rejects such a type owning another root, breaking every cycle. It also limits graph-only chains to three types, or two if the first type contains a node, and conservatively rejects longer acyclic chains. The missing local-kptr edges, rather than a missed graph-only cycle, are the bug introduced by support for bpf_kptr_xchg() into local kptrs. Replace that restriction with one bounded ownership walk covering graph roots and local referenced kptrs. Run it after all BTF records have been fixed up, reject cycles and paths deeper than eight record-bearing types, and cache each type's suffix depth while checking it against the remaining budget. This also permits the longer acyclic graph-only layouts rejected by the old rule; update their existing BTF tests accordingly. Keep the bound independent of MAX_CALL_FRAMES because recursive destruction can run below a BPF call chain. A plain local pointee without special-field metadata adds only a final non-recursing drop. Non-owning kptrs and kernel-BTF kptrs do not recurse through local records and remain outside the walk. Include local percpu-kptr edges too, although allocation of percpu objects with special fields is currently forbidden, so that relaxing that restriction cannot bypass the ownership bound. btf_check_and_fixup_fields() continues to initialize graph_root.value_rec, including for separately allocated map records. The ownership relationships belong to immutable program BTF and only need validation at BTF load time.

UNRATED · N/ALinux

Executive briefing

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Assessment: Potential exposure only — validate product, version, configuration and vendor applicability.

Evidence confidence: Not assessed Evidence-derived, not an exploitability verdict

Severity & attack characteristics

N/A / 10 · CVSS

CVSS vector:
Not supplied

No CVSS vector is currently available in the source record.

Technical explanation & impact

Technical root-cause details are not available in the current source record.

Assess the impact using the published CVSS metrics and the affected vendor component.

Affected products and versions

NVD has not supplied machine-readable vulnerable CPE product/version entries for this CVE. This is an information gap, not proof that no products are affected. Check the vendor advisory references below.

Remediation & validation

  1. Identify exposure by comparing the affected product and version ranges with your asset inventory, SBOM and externally exposed services.
  2. Review the linked vendor security advisory or patch notes. Upgrade to a vendor-confirmed fixed release; do not infer a fixed version from the CVE description.
  3. Until patched, consider restricting network access or disabling the affected feature where operationally safe. These are temporary controls, not a substitute for a vendor fix.
  4. Validate the remediation with a version check and vulnerability rescan, then retain change evidence.

No fixed version is displayed unless it is explicitly established by a vendor advisory. Follow the vendor's release notes for exact product and branch applicability.

Vendor advisories, patches & exploit references

No external references are currently supplied in the CVE record.

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