CVE-2026-98641
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's Berkeley Packet Filter (BPF) subsystem on ARM64 architectures. When processing BPF exception callbacks, the compiler fails to properly set up the stack frame pointer register. A local user can exploit this vulnerability by running a crafted BPF program that triggers an exception, causing the kernel to overwrite memory on the active call stack. This flaw results in memory corruption and a system crash, leading to a denial of service (DoS).
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as having a Moderate impact because exploitation requires administrative privileges, such as CAP_BPF or root, to load and execute custom BPF programs on ARM64 hardware. By default, Red Hat Enterprise Linux restricts unprivileged eBPF access, preventing unprivileged local users from triggering this code path. Furthermore, the vulnerability is confined to 64-bit ARM architectures and results in a kernel crash causing a local denial of service, with no loss of data confidentiality or integrity.
Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) Score Details
Info alert:Important note
CVSS scores for open source components depend on vendor-specific factors (e.g. version or build chain). Therefore, Red Hat's score and impact rating can be different from NVD and other vendors. Red Hat remains the authoritative CVE Naming Authority (CNA) source for its products and services (see Red Hat classifications).
The following CVSS metrics and score provided are preliminary and subject to review.
CVSS v3 Score Breakdown
| Red Hat | NVD | cve.org | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base Score | 4.4 | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Vector | Local | N/A | N/A |
| Attack Complexity | Low | N/A | N/A |
| Privileges Required | High | N/A | N/A |
| User Interaction | None | N/A | N/A |
| Scope | Unchanged | N/A | N/A |
| Confidentiality | None | N/A | N/A |
| Integrity Impact | None | N/A | N/A |
| Availability Impact | High | N/A | N/A |
Vector
Red Hat: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Understanding the Weakness (CWE)
Confidentiality
Technical Impact: Read Memory
If the expired pointer is used in a read operation, an attacker might be able to control data read in by the application.
Availability
Technical Impact: DoS: Crash, Exit, or Restart
If the expired pointer references a memory location that is not accessible to the product, or points to a location that is "malformed" (such as NULL) or larger than expected by a read or write operation, then a crash may occur.
Integrity,Confidentiality,Availability
Technical Impact: Execute Unauthorized Code or Commands
If the expired pointer is used in a function call, or points to unexpected data in a write operation, then code execution may be possible.
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