Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Detect IP == ksym.end as part of BPF program
Now that bpf_throw kfunc is the first such call instruction that has
noreturn semantics within the verifier, this also kicks in dead code
elimination in unprecedented ways. For one, any instruction following
a bpf_throw call will never be marked as seen. Moreover, if a callchain
ends up throwing, any instructions after the call instruction to the
eventually throwing subprog in callers will also never be marked as
seen.
The tempting way to fix this would be to emit extra 'int3' instructions
which bump the jited_len of a program, and ensure that during runtime
when a program throws, we can discover its boundaries even if the call
instruction to bpf_throw (or to subprogs that always throw) is emitted
as the final instruction in the program.
An example of such a program would be this:
do_something():
...
r0 = 0
exit
foo():
r1 = 0
call bpf_throw
r0 = 0
exit
bar(cond):
if r1 != 0 goto pc+2
call do_something
exit
call foo
r0 = 0 // Never seen by verifier
exit //
main(ctx):
r1 = ...
call bar
r0 = 0
exit
Here, if we do end up throwing, the stacktrace would be the following:
bpf_throw
foo
bar
main
In bar, the final instruction emitted will be the call to foo, as such,
the return address will be the subsequent instruction (which the JIT
emits as int3 on x86). This will end up lying outside the jited_len of
the program, thus, when unwinding, we will fail to discover the return
address as belonging to any program and end up in a panic due to the
unreliable stack unwinding of BPF programs that we never expect.
To remedy this case, make bpf_prog_ksym_find treat IP == ksym.end as
part of the BPF program, so that is_bpf_text_address returns true when
such a case occurs, and we are able to unwind reliably when the final
instruction ends up being a call instruction.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4.11 | 5.10.202 |
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 6.6.8-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.6.8-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | 6.1.64-1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | 5.15.0-1037.39 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +1 | 5.15.0-100.110 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws | 5.15.0-1056.61 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure | 5.15.0-1058.66 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde | 5.15.0-1058.66.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 5.15.0-1053.61 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gke +1 | 5.15.0-1052.57 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gkeop | 5.15.0-1038.44 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-ibm +1 | 5.15.0-1048.51 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-intel-iotg | 5.15.0-1050.56 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia | 5.15.0-1046.46 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.5 | 6.5.0-1014.14 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | 5.15.0-1025.25 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-igx | 5.15.0-1012.12 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 5.15.0-1053.59 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +30 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-xilinx-zynqmp | 5.15.0-1030.34 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-aws-5.15 | 5.15.0-1056.61~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-azure-5.15 | 5.15.0-1058.66~20.04.2 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gcp-5.15 | 5.15.0-1053.61~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +27 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gkeop-5.15 | 5.15.0-1038.44~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-hwe-5.15 +1 | 5.15.0-100.110~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-ibm-5.15 | 5.15.0-1048.51~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-intel-iotg-5.15 | 5.15.0-1050.56~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 | 5.15.0-1025.25~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-oracle-5.15 | 5.15.0-1053.59~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-riscv-5.15 | 5.15.0-1051.55~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
Show 12 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-intel-iot-realtime | 5.15.0-1048.50 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 5.15.0-1056.63 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-fips | 5.15.0-1056.61+fips1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips | 5.15.0-100.110+fips1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp-fips | 5.15.0-1055.63+fips2 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux +10 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | linux +12 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | linux-gcp +4 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | linux-azure | No fix yet | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | kernel-livepatch-6.1.66-91.160 | 1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2023-461 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf +13 | 6.1.66-91.160.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2023-461 |
Advisories 2
- WID-SEC-2024-1197 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Denial of Service und unspezifische Angriffe BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 9, 2026
- ALAS2023-2023-461 Important: kernel security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Oct 18, 2025
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6058e4829696412457729a00734969acc6fd1d18
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/cf353904a82873e952633fcac4385c2fcd3a46e1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aa42a7cb92647786719fe9608685da345883878f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/327b92e8cb527ae097961ffd1610c720481947f5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/821a7e4143af115b840ec199eb179537e18af922
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/66d9111f3517f85ef2af0337ece02683ce0faf21