CVE-2026-93138
bpf: Fix vmlinux BTF prep race in bpf_get_btf_vmlinux
- State
- Published
- Severity
- 7.8 High
- Published
- Sep 17, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 19, 2026
- Reserved
- Sep 17, 2026
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Fix vmlinux BTF prep race in bpf_get_btf_vmlinux
bpf_get_btf_vmlinux() lazily parses the vmlinux BTF under the bpf_verifier_lock, but publishes the result through a plain store and re-checks it through a plain lockless load. Nothing orders the stores initializing the struct btf inside btf_parse_vmlinux() against the store publishing the pointer: On a weakly ordered arch, a concurrent first-time caller taking the lockless fast path could in principle observe the pointer before the parsed contents are visible. The mutex_unlock() does not help such a reader given it only synchronizes with a later acquisition of the same lock. Thus, publish the pointer with smp_store_release() and read it on the fast path with smp_load_acquire().
Acquire semantics are needed rather than a dependency-ordered READ_ONCE(): btf_parse_vmlinux() also populates globals outside the returned object (e.g. bpf_ctx_convert.t). An address dependency would only order accesses performed through the pointer and not cover other globals.
Scores
| CVSS | Score | Vector | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | 7.8 High | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H | Linux |
Weaknesses
The record names no weakness.
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
LinuxLinux |
|
LinuxLinux |
|
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f32a4a40bc635be25d6816da4bd91e9e58c31bf3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a7fe72d780122eb934536f1719abad445f6afdf7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e18a10b39c994f04e1ebd7f8fc042bb1ca8ad053
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/978524ecfc1c539282df5858de1eec20748c6f74
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eaf302628a78806f66d8224d6ba03fb4d5025de4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2892f3f44bf865c8fb6b6c0960edec4cc91806ee
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/86d11c594d60b255b526fa5260f669463fb1a063
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/92863e678070f57c17c868e4bfa2441a5c61ad2b
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