Bug 2541197 (CVE-2026-98040) - CVE-2026-98040 kernel: bpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check
Summary: CVE-2026-98040 kernel: bpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-for...
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: CVE-2026-98040
Product: Security Response
Classification: Other
Component: vulnerability
Version: unspecified
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
medium
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Product Security DevOps Team
QA Contact:
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2026-09-25 10:58 UTC by OSIDB Bzimport
Modified: 2026-09-28 22:56 UTC (History)
17 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-09-25 10:58:52 UTC
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.


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