Kernel crash via stale callback frame pointer
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Memory corruption in the Linux arm64 BPF JIT allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted BPF exception callback. In arch/arm64/net/bpf_jit_comp.c, build_prologue() leaves x25 pointing at an abandoned subprogram frame, so a helper receiving a callback-local address overwrites its own return address. Exploitation requires the ability to load and execute the relevant BPF program on arm64; the published result is a kernel panic, not demonstrated privilege escalation.
Summary
What happened
Memory corruption in the Linux arm64 BPF JIT allows local users to crash the kernel through a crafted BPF exception callback. In arch/arm64/net/bpf_jit_comp.c, build_prologue() leaves x25 pointing at an abandoned subprogram frame, so a helper receiving a callback-local address overwrites its own return address. Exploitation requires the ability to load and execute the relevant BPF program on arm64; the published result is a kernel panic, not demonstrated privilege escalation.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98641
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- Unavailable
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 18, 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=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <b67b4c763f211e7a6391c356fef552e2ea63f08a
- Affected versionversion=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <d7cd5ebe13989f265015910faa25e5d50faa4c22
- Affected versionversion=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <ecdd770a9fc3eaf6c3127c5991312b84774a7b0f
- Affected versionversion=5d4fa9ec5643a5c75d3c1e6abf50fb9284caf1ff <ef1fb82f12186dd26153b14d9fbcf4ec98db81b3
- Affected versionversion=6.12
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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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.
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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