Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Bound ownership depth through local kptrs and graph roots
Program-allocated objects can own other local objects through referenced
kptrs. bpf_obj_free_fields() follows those pointers through
__bpf_obj_drop_impl() synchronously, before the object storage is freed
through RCU. A self-referential local kptr type therefore permits arbitrarily
deep object chains, and dropping the head can exhaust the kernel stack.
Long acyclic type chains have the same problem.
btf_check_and_fixup_fields() still assumes referenced kptrs only point to
kernel types and checks ownership through list and rbtree roots only. Its
existing rule is sufficient for graph-only cycles: the target of each graph
edge must contain a node, so every type in a cycle has both a root and a
node. The rule rejects such a type owning another root, breaking every
cycle. It also limits graph-only chains to three types, or two if the first
type contains a node, and conservatively rejects longer acyclic chains.
The missing local-kptr edges, rather than a missed graph-only cycle, are the
bug introduced by support for bpf_kptr_xchg() into local kptrs.
Replace that restriction with one bounded ownership walk covering graph
roots and local referenced kptrs. Run it after all BTF records have been
fixed up, reject cycles and paths deeper than eight record-bearing types,
and cache each type's suffix depth while checking it against the remaining
budget. This also permits the longer acyclic graph-only layouts rejected
by the old rule; update their existing BTF tests accordingly.
Keep the bound independent of MAX_CALL_FRAMES because recursive destruction
can run below a BPF call chain. A plain local pointee without special-field
metadata adds only a final non-recursing drop. Non-owning kptrs and
kernel-BTF kptrs do not recurse through local records and remain outside the
walk. Include local percpu-kptr edges too, although allocation of percpu
objects with special fields is currently forbidden, so that relaxing that
restriction cannot bypass the ownership bound.
btf_check_and_fixup_fields() continues to initialize graph_root.value_rec,
including for separately allocated map records. The ownership relationships
belong to immutable program BTF and only need validation at BTF load time.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 6.12 | 6.12.112 |
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 | 7.2.9-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.12.113-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux-6.12 | 6.12.113-1~deb12u1 | — |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux | 7.0.0-42.42 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-aws | 7.0.0-1016.17 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-azure | 7.0.0-1020.21 | USN-9019-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde | 7.0.0-1019.19 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 7.0.0-1016.18 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-gke | 7.0.0-1010.11 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-ibm +1 | 7.0.0-1017.17 | USN-8960-1, USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-nvidia +1 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 7.0.0-1015.16 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-raspi | 7.0.0-1023.23 | USN-9021-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 7.0.0-43.43.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | linux-riscv | 7.0.0-42.42.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws-7.0 | 7.0.0-1017.18~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde-7.0 | 7.0.0-1019.19~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-7.0 | 7.0.0-1017.19~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-hwe-7.0 | 7.0.0-42.42~24.04.1 | USN-8959-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-oracle-7.0 | 7.0.0-1016.18~24.04.1 | USN-9020-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv +29 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv-7.0 | 7.0.0-42.42.1~24.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +32 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +28 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
Show 2 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 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime-6.14 +1 | No fix yet | — |
Amazon Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux 2023 | kernel-livepatch-6.18.56-125.164 +1 | 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335, ALAS2023-2026-3251 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf6.12 +11 | 1:6.12.113-138.209.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3335 |
| Amazon Linux 2023 | perf6.18 +12 | 1:6.18.56-125.164.amzn2023 | ALAS2023-2026-3251 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 9 | kernel-uek +34 | 6.12.0-208.112.5.el10uek | ELSA-2026-500572 |
Advisories 9
- USN-9021-1 linux-raspi vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9020-1 linux-aws-7.0, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-7.0, linux-gcp-7.0, linux-gke, linux-oracle-7.0, linux-realtime vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-8959-1 linux, linux-aws, linux-gcp, linux-hwe-7.0, linux-ibm, linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-9019-1 linux-azure vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- USN-8960-1 linux-oem-7.0 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Nov 12, 2026
- WID-SEC-2026-4019 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 11, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-3335 Important: kernel6.12 security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Nov 2, 2026
- ELSA-2026-500572 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 9) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Nov 2, 2026
- ALAS2023-2026-3251 Important: kernel6.18 security update (Amazon Linux 2023) Amazon Linux Security Center (ALAS) · Oct 26, 2026