Kernel crash via key-less BTF hash map
Published Sep 25, 2026 · Updated Sep 25, 2026
NULL-pointer dereference in Linux 7.0 allows local users with BPF map-creation access to crash the kernel through a key-less BTF hash map. The htab and rhtab map_check_btf callbacks accept a zero key type, so bpffs passes a void BTF type to btf_type_show and dereferences a null kind handler. Triggering the crash requires local BPF map-creation access and reading the malformed map through bpffs; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.
Summary
What happened
NULL-pointer dereference in Linux 7.0 allows local users with BPF map-creation access to crash the kernel through a key-less BTF hash map. The htab and rhtab map_check_btf callbacks accept a zero key type, so bpffs passes a void BTF type to btf_type_show and dereferences a null kind handler. Triggering the crash requires local BPF map-creation access and reading the malformed map through bpffs; the bounded consequence is a kernel crash.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98065
- Published
- Sep 25, 2026
- Updated
- Sep 25, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- 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=1df97a7453eec80c1912c2d0360290a3970a7671 <0895a0c0734703be5532f3883c42db95615fd98b
- Affected versionversion=1df97a7453eec80c1912c2d0360290a3970a7671 <7ca231252820c47aaec42a5db580db98f9b64724
- Affected versionversion=7.0
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
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Public exploit references
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Technologies
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