In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix incorrect pruning due to atomic fetch precision tracking When… (CVE-2026-43009)
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's BPF subsystem related to incorrect pruning due to atomic fetch precision tracking has been resolved. The issue arises because the backtracking logic did not properly handle atomic fetch instructions, causing the verifier to incorrectly consider different states equivalent and prune branches that should remain distinct. This could lead to incorrect verification of BPF programs. The fix extends the handling of atomic fetch instructions to correctly propagate precision information, preventing improper pruning.
AI Analysis
Technical Summary
CVE-2026-43009 addresses a flaw in the Linux kernel's BPF verifier where the backtrack_insn function mishandles atomic fetch instructions (BPF_STX with BPF_ATOMIC and BPF_FETCH). The source register in these instructions also acts as a destination, receiving the old memory value, but the verifier treated these as regular stores, failing to propagate precision to the stack location. This caused the verifier's path pruning to mistakenly treat two distinct states as equivalent, potentially pruning valid execution paths. The fix involves extending the BPF_LDX handling in backtrack_insn to cover atomic fetch operations, clearing the fetch destination register when tracked for precision, and propagating precision to the stack slot, thus correcting the verifier's behavior.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability could cause the BPF verifier to incorrectly prune execution paths by treating distinct states as equivalent. This may lead to incorrect verification results for BPF programs, potentially allowing unsafe or unintended BPF programs to be accepted by the kernel verifier. The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates high severity with impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
An official fix is available and should be applied. The vulnerability is resolved in Linux kernel versions 7.0.0-1006.6 and later. Users and administrators should update to a fixed kernel version to mitigate this issue.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix incorrect pruning due to atomic fetch precision tracking When… (CVE-2026-43009)
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's BPF subsystem related to incorrect pruning due to atomic fetch precision tracking has been resolved. The issue arises because the backtracking logic did not properly handle atomic fetch instructions, causing the verifier to incorrectly consider different states equivalent and prune branches that should remain distinct. This could lead to incorrect verification of BPF programs. The fix extends the handling of atomic fetch instructions to correctly propagate precision information, preventing improper pruning.
CVSS v3.1
Score 7.8high
Affected software
pkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~16.04.1?arch=source&distro=xenialpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.2?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.2?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~18.04.1?arch=source&distro=bionicpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.2?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+cvm1.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.3?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=esm-infra/focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~20.04.1?arch=source&distro=focalpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.2?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.2.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.1?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bluefield/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-preview/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-preview/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-preview/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-preview/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=realtime/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=realtime/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~22.04.2?arch=source&distro=realtime/jammypkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=bluefield/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]+fips1?arch=source&distro=fips-updates/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=realtime/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=realtime/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=realtime/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]~24.04.1?arch=source&distro=realtime/noblepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=questingpkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resolutepkg:deb/ubuntu/[email protected]?arch=source&distro=resoluteRun on your own infrastructure? Check whether these packages are installed with threat-finder — our free open-source scanner.
AI-Powered Analysis
Machine-generated threat intelligence
Technical Analysis
CVE-2026-43009 addresses a flaw in the Linux kernel's BPF verifier where the backtrack_insn function mishandles atomic fetch instructions (BPF_STX with BPF_ATOMIC and BPF_FETCH). The source register in these instructions also acts as a destination, receiving the old memory value, but the verifier treated these as regular stores, failing to propagate precision to the stack location. This caused the verifier's path pruning to mistakenly treat two distinct states as equivalent, potentially pruning valid execution paths. The fix involves extending the BPF_LDX handling in backtrack_insn to cover atomic fetch operations, clearing the fetch destination register when tracked for precision, and propagating precision to the stack slot, thus correcting the verifier's behavior.
Potential Impact
The vulnerability could cause the BPF verifier to incorrectly prune execution paths by treating distinct states as equivalent. This may lead to incorrect verification results for BPF programs, potentially allowing unsafe or unintended BPF programs to be accepted by the kernel verifier. The CVSS score of 7.8 indicates high severity with impacts on confidentiality, integrity, and availability. No known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Mitigation Recommendations
An official fix is available and should be applied. The vulnerability is resolved in Linux kernel versions 7.0.0-1006.6 and later. Users and administrators should update to a fixed kernel version to mitigate this issue.
Technical Details
- Gcve Source
- db.gcve.eu
- Osv Id
- UBUNTU-CVE-2026-43009
- Osv Schema Version
- 1.7.0
- Ecosystems
- ["Ubuntu:16.04:LTS","Ubuntu:18.04:LTS","Ubuntu:20.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:20.04:LTS","Ubuntu:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Nvidia-BlueField:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-preview:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-updates:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:Realtime:22.04:LTS","Ubuntu:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Nvidia-BlueField:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:FIPS-updates:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:Pro:Realtime:24.04:LTS","Ubuntu:25.10","Ubuntu:26.04:LTS"]
- Cvss Version
- 4.0
Threat ID: 6a5a038f91ae9bcd3f85643b
Added to database: 07/17/2026, 10:27:27 UTC
Last enriched: 09/12/2026, 11:32:16 UTC
Last updated: 09/12/2026, 11:32:16 UTC
Views: 50
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