CVE-2024-42161

Unpredictable BPF bitfield results via uninitialized value

Published Jul 30, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026

Use of an uninitialized value in Linux 5.5 through 6.9.8 allows local users to obtain unpredictable BPF bitfield results. The BPF_CORE_READ_BITFIELD macro in tools/lib/bpf/bpf_core_read.h leaves val unset when __builtin_preserve_field_info returns a byte size other than 1, 2, 4, or 8. Exploitation requires local high privileges and an unexpected field-size result; published assessments bound the consequence to confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

CVSS severity6.3
Medium
EPSS probability0.22%
Next 30 days · Sep 16, 2026
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Based on sourced intelligence
Hinoki checkNot available
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Summary

What happened

Use of an uninitialized value in Linux 5.5 through 6.9.8 allows local users to obtain unpredictable BPF bitfield results. The BPF_CORE_READ_BITFIELD macro in tools/lib/bpf/bpf_core_read.h leaves val unset when __builtin_preserve_field_info returns a byte size other than 1, 2, 4, or 8. Exploitation requires local high privileges and an unexpected field-size result; published assessments bound the consequence to confidentiality, integrity, and availability impacts.

The record

CVE
CVE-2024-42161
Published
Jul 30, 2024
Updated
May 11, 2026
Vendor
The Linux Kernel Organization
Product
Linux
Classifications
CWE-908
Attack vector
local
Privileges
admin

Timeline

How it unfolded

  1. Jul 30, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
  2. May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.

Exploitability

Present is not the same as exploitable

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Is a vulnerable build present?

Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.

  1. Affected versionversion=5.5
  2. Affected versionversion=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <009367099eb61a4fc2af44d4eb06b6b4de7de6db
  3. Affected versionversion=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <3364c2ed1c241989847f19cf83e3db903ce689e3
  4. Affected versionversion=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <7e5471b5efebc30dd0bc035cda86693a5c73d45f
  5. Affected versionversion=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <a21d76bd0b0d39518e9a4c19f6cf7c042a974aff
  6. Affected versionversion=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <b694989bb13ed5f166e633faa1eb0f21c6d261a6
  7. Affected versionversion=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <ff941a8449e712eaf7efca1a13bfb9afd3d99fc2

What conditions does exploitation require?

Attack vectorlocal
Required privilegesadmin

What is affected?

The Linux Kernel Organization · Linuxversion=5.5; version=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <009367099eb61a4fc2af44d4eb06b6b4de7de6db; version=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <3364c2ed1c241989847f19cf83e3db903ce689e3; version=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <7e5471b5efebc30dd0bc035cda86693a5c73d45f; version=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <a21d76bd0b0d39518e9a4c19f6cf7c042a974aff; version=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <b694989bb13ed5f166e633faa1eb0f21c6d261a6; version=ee26dade0e3bcd8a34ae7520e373fb69365fce7a <ff941a8449e712eaf7efca1a13bfb9afd3d99fc2

Published CVSS scores

6.4SUSECVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
6.3NIST NVDCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:H/UI:N/S:U/C:L/I:H/A:H
7.1SUSECVSS:4.0/AV:L/AC:H/AT:N/PR:H/UI:N/VC:H/VI:H/VA:H/SC:N/SI:N/SA:N

CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.

Attacks

What attackers are doing with it

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No observations available

Sep 10, 2026Sep 16, 2026
Latest reporting daySep 16, 2026
Latest daily unique IPsUnavailable
Prior 30-day averageUnavailable
SourceShadowserver honeypots (KEV)
Vectorlocal
Privilegesadmin
Known exploitationUnconfirmed
Public exploitUnconfirmed

Weakness, pattern, technique

CWE-908Use of Uninitialized Resource

Public exploit references

No public exploit references are available in this record.

Labels summarize the accepted research assessment. They do not indicate a test against your environment.

Technologies

Your stack

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Your stack

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