CVE-2026-98647
Description
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's BPF (Berkeley Packet Filter) subsystem. This vulnerability allows a local user to cause a Denial of Service (DoS) by crashing the kernel. When loading a specially crafted BPF program that accesses a structure with an empty flexible array member, the verifier attempts to compute offsets without checking for a zero element size, triggering a divide-by-zero error.
Statement
This vulnerability is rated as having a Moderate impact because exploitation requires elevated administrative privileges, specifically CAP_BPF or CAP_SYS_ADMIN, to load the sleepable programs necessary to reach the affected verifier logic. Default Red Hat Enterprise Linux environments do not permit unprivileged users to load BPF programs or manipulate BTF objects. Consequently, the flaw is confined to a local denial of service via a kernel panic, without posing a risk to system 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
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