CVE-2026-98040
kernel: bpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check
Severity
ModerateRed Hat Product Security
CVSS 3.1
Review impact separately from score.
Published · September 25, 2026
Updated · September 29, 2026
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) verifier. When validating conditional jump operations using register comparisons against null values, the verifier fails to properly track register precision across different execution paths. A local user capable of loading BPF programs can exploit this flaw to bypass safety checks and trigger a null pointer dereference, leading to a system crash and Denial of Service (DoS).
CVSS score applicability
The CVSS score(s) listed for this vulnerability do not reflect the associated product's status, and are included for informational purposes to better understand the severity of this vulnerability.
Mitigation
No mitigation is specified in collected source.
CVSS / CWE
CVSS 3.1 · 5.5CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE-476 · NULL Pointer Dereference