All vulnerabilities
CVE-2026-98641

Linux: bpf, arm64: set up the frame pointer for the exception callback

Linux LinuxOperating systems
CVSS
NoneNot scored
ExploitationNo known exploitationNot in CISA KEV, which does not prove it is unexploitedCISA KEV
Exploit odds (EPSS)0.17%Chance of exploitation activity in the next 30 days, higher than 5% of CVEs. Scored 23 Oct 2026FIRST EPSS
Fixed inNone listedNo source names a fixed version yet
Published18 Oct 2026Updated 19 Oct 2026CVE List

What fixes it

No source in this snapshot names a fixed version.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

bpf, arm64: set up the frame pointer for the exception callback

A program acting as exception boundary saves all callee-saved registers, so build_prologue() takes the exception_cb path and never calls push_callee_regs(). That is the only place find_used_callee_regs() runs, and with it the only place ctx->fp_used is set, so the callback prologue does not emit the

mov x25, sp

that points BPF_REG_FP at the frame the callback runs on. x25 keeps whatever it held when bpf_throw() was called. If the throw came from a subprogram that uses its own BPF stack, that is the subprogram's frame pointer, and since the subprogram never returns it never restores x25 either.

Stack accesses through BPF_REG_FP are rewritten to be stack pointer relative, so those still land in the callback's own frame. Materializing the register does not: a callback that passes the address of a local variable to a helper hands over an address in the dead subprogram's frame. That address is below the callback's stack pointer by then, and the helper's own call chain covers it, so the helper can write over its own return address. 0x1234 below is the value the helper was asked to store:

pc : 0x1234 lr : 0x1234 Call trace: 0x1234 (P) bpf_test_run+0x188/0x3e0 bpf_prog_test_run_skb+0x47c/0x998 __sys_bpf+0xbdc/0xdd8 Kernel panic - not syncing: Oops: Fatal exception in interrupt

Set ctx->fp_used on the exception callback path so that the existing code further down sets x25 from the stack pointer. The epilogue restores it from the main program's save area along with the other callee-saved registers, as it already does. x86 sets the frame pointer for the callback from the argument it is passed, and powerpc computes it from the stack pointer.

Text from CVE List

Affected versions 10

  • Linuxaffected: 5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff before ecdd770a9fc3eaf6c3127c5991312b84774a7b0fCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff before b67b4c763f211e7a6391c356fef552e2ea63f08aCVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff before d7cd5ebe13989f265015910faa25e5d50faa4c22CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff before ef1fb82f12186dd26153b14d9fbcf4ec98db81b3CVE List
  • Linuxaffected: 6.12CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: all versions before 6.12CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.12.112 through 6.12.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 6.18.55 through 6.18.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.2.9 through 7.2.*CVE List
  • Linuxunaffected: 7.3CVE List

References 4