Kernel compromise via misclassified BPF_JSET control flow
Published Aug 19, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026
eBPF verifier failure in Linux 6.15 through 6.15.9 and 6.16.0 allows local users to read and write kernel memory with BPF_JSET bytecode. The verifier.c can_jump() helper fails to classify BPF_JSET as a conditional jump, so insn_successors() omits the taken branch and computes unsound register liveness and strongly connected components. Reaching the flaw requires local BPF program loading through bpf(BPF_PROG_LOAD), available to unprivileged users only when unprivileged BPF is enabled and otherwise requiring CAP_BPF; accepted bytecode can disclose or overwrite kernel memory, escalate privileges, or crash the host.
Summary
What happened
eBPF verifier failure in Linux 6.15 through 6.15.9 and 6.16.0 allows local users to read and write kernel memory with BPF_JSET bytecode. The verifier.c can_jump() helper fails to classify BPF_JSET as a conditional jump, so insn_successors() omits the taken branch and computes unsound register liveness and strongly connected components. Reaching the flaw requires local BPF program loading through bpf(BPF_PROG_LOAD), available to unprivileged users only when unprivileged BPF is enabled and otherwise requiring CAP_BPF; accepted bytecode can disclose or overwrite kernel memory, escalate privileges, or crash the host.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2025-38607
- Published
- Aug 19, 2025
- Updated
- Aug 5, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1068
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Aug 19, 2025CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Aug 5, 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.
- Affected versionversion=14c8552db64476ffc27c13dc6652fc0dac31c0ba <261b30ad1516f4b9edd500aa6e8d6315c8fc109a
- Affected versionversion=14c8552db64476ffc27c13dc6652fc0dac31c0ba <3157f7e2999616ac91f4d559a8566214f74000a5
- Affected versionversion=14c8552db64476ffc27c13dc6652fc0dac31c0ba <65eb166b8636365ad3d6e36d50a7c5edfe6cc66e
- Affected versionversion=6.15
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
CVSS describes severity. EPSS estimates exploitation probability.
Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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