{"id":"CVE-2026-98040","title":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nbpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check\n\ncheck_cond_jmp_op() accepts \"if rA <op> rB\" as a NULL check for a\nnullable pointer rA when rB is a s…","summary":"In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nbpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check\n\ncheck_cond_jmp_op() accepts \"if rA <op> rB\" as a NULL check for a\nnullable pointer rA when rB is a s…","severity":"none","vendor":"Linux","product":"Linux","affected":["Linux >= 2f4cb53eed448c1aeb6f4b40cf9c810716d8218c < ddca9a3b8833168dda3e62676648a636fb3f221c","Linux >= 2f4cb53eed448c1aeb6f4b40cf9c810716d8218c < 6aed0134d3cda6382385a734ae0158eb7df6b142","Linux 7.1"],"published":"2026-09-25","updated":"2026-09-25","sourceUpdated":"2026-09-25T11:17:32.773","source":"NVD","sourceUrl":"https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98040","references":[{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aed0134d3cda6382385a734ae0158eb7df6b142","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"},{"url":"https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ddca9a3b8833168dda3e62676648a636fb3f221c","label":"416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67"}],"tags":["nvd","cve.org"],"ingestedAt":"2026-09-25T11:06:38.850Z","slug":"CVE-2026-98040","body":"## Overview\n\nIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nbpf: Mark the zero register precise for a register-form NULL check\n\ncheck_cond_jmp_op() accepts \"if rA <op> rB\" as a NULL check for a\nnullable pointer rA when rB is a scalar known to be zero,\nlifts PTR_MAYBE_NULL from rA in the corresponding branch and does not\nmark rB precise. Consider the following program:\n\n  r0 = bpf_get_prandom_u32();\n  r6 = 1;                  /* the r6 == 0 path is explored first */\n  if (r0 == 0) goto 1f;\n  r6 = 0;\n1:\n  r0 = bpf_map_lookup_elem(map, &0);  /* absent, NULL at runtime */\n  if (r0 == r6) goto 2f;   /* taken as a NULL check for r0       */\n  *(u8 *)(r0 + 0);         /* verifier: map value; runtime: zero */\n2:\n  return 0;\n\nThe r6 == 0 path is explored first and the dereference is accepted.\nThe r6 == 1 path is pruned at the checkpoint recorded for (1),\nso the comparison is never verified with a non-zero r6. At runtime a\nfailed lookup returns NULL, NULL != 1 takes the non-NULL edge and the\nprogram dereferences a pointer that is zero.\n\n## Remediation\n\nRefer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.","depth":"sunlit","depthScore":3,"depthScoreParts":{"impact":2.8,"likelihood":0,"exploitation":0,"ransomware":0},"changes":[]}