Kernel crash via unresolved BTF variable type
Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 5.10 and affected later branches allows local users to crash the host via a crafted BPF program. btf_var_show() passes a base-BTF variable type to btf_type_id_resolve(), which dereferences the absent btf->resolved_ids table instead of resolving modifiers directly. Reaching the path requires permission to run a BPF program that sends a vmlinux BTF_KIND_VAR type to bpf_snprintf_btf(), producing a host-wide kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in Linux kernel 5.10 and affected later branches allows local users to crash the host via a crafted BPF program. btf_var_show() passes a base-BTF variable type to btf_type_id_resolve(), which dereferences the absent btf->resolved_ids table instead of resolving modifiers directly. Reaching the path requires permission to run a BPF program that sends a vmlinux BTF_KIND_VAR type to bpf_snprintf_btf(), producing a host-wide kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98063
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Sep 25, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Sep 25, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=5.10
- Affected versionversion=c4d0bfb45068d853a478b9067a95969b1886a30f <5403a383f52fc0905703b488f7c3db4b2447dc58
- Affected versionversion=c4d0bfb45068d853a478b9067a95969b1886a30f <ca086264e98108b44fdf53971033811a48defe2b
- Affected versionversion=c4d0bfb45068d853a478b9067a95969b1886a30f <e472ae0d97865e2021ee668a13eab64013aebf23
- Affected versionversion=c4d0bfb45068d853a478b9067a95969b1886a30f <ea383b3ea56979ce54c8aa88e6ec67164986c401
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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