bpf: Fix oob access in cgroup local storage
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix oob access in cgroup local storage Lonial reported that an out-of-bounds access in cgroup local storage can be crafted via tail calls. Given two programs each utilizing a cgroup local storage with a different value size, and one program doing a tail call into the other. The verifier will validate each of the indivial programs just fine. However, in the runtime context the bpf_cg_run_ctx holds an bpf_prog_array_item which contains the BPF program as well as any cgroup local storage flavor the program uses. Helpers such as bpf_get_local_storage() pick this up from the runtime context: ctx = container_of(current->bpf_ctx, struct bpf_cg_run_ctx, run_ctx); storage = ctx->prog_item->cgroup_storage[stype]; if (stype == BPF_CGROUP_STORAGE_SHARED) ptr = &READ_ONCE(storage->buf)->data[0]; else ptr = this_cpu_ptr(storage->percpu_buf); For the second program which was called from the originally attached one, this means bpf_get_local_storage() will pick up the former program's map, not its own. With mismatching sizes, this can result in an unintended out-of-bounds access. To fix this issue, we need to extend bpf_map_owner with an array of storage_cookie[] to match on i) the exact maps from the original program if the second program was using bpf_get_local_storage(), or ii) allow the tail call combination if the second program was not using any of the cgroup local storage maps.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Total
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.9 and later | 5.15.192, 6.1.151, 6.6.105, 6.12.46, 6.16.1, 6.17 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.9 and later Fixed in 5.15.192, 6.1.151, 6.6.105, 6.12.46, 6.16.1, 6.17 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 4
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.9 to before 5.15.192; 5.16 to before 6.1.151; 6.2 to before 6.6.105; 6.7 to before 6.12.46; 6.13 to before 6.16.1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 11.0 | Vulnerable | Debian |
| cpe:2.3:o:siemens:simatic_cn_4100_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | before 5.0 | Vulnerable | Siemens |
| cpe:2.3:h:siemens:simatic_cn_4100:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | not specified by NVD | Running on | Siemens |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.9 to before 5.15.192; 5.16 to before 6.1.151; 6.2 to before 6.6.105; 6.7 to before 6.12.46; 6.13 to before 6.16.1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:debian:debian_linux:11.0:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 11.0 Vulnerable ·Debian
- cpe:2.3:o:siemens:simatic_cn_4100_firmware:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions before 5.0 Vulnerable ·Siemens
- cpe:2.3:h:siemens:simatic_cn_4100:-:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions not specified by NVD Running on ·Siemens
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.192, 6.1.151, 6.6.105, 6.12.46, 6.16.1, 6.17
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Low. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2025-38502
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-x96j-4m6x-jcvx
- 2026-10-16 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
Patch 6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1c74584b9b4043c52e41fec415226e582d266a3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/66da7cee78590259b400e51a70622ccd41da7bb2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/7acfa07c585e3d7a64654d38f0a5c762877d0b9b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/41688d1fc5d163a6c2c0e95c0419e2cb31a44648
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/19341d5c59e8c7e8528e40f8663e99d67810473c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/abad3d0bad72a52137e0c350c59542d75ae4f513
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Sources
- CVE-2025-38502 · CVE Program
- CVE-2025-38502 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-x96j-4m6x-jcvx · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2025-38502 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences