Divide-by-zero in Linux kernel BPF btf_struct_walk()
Key facts
- Attack vector
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- Privileges required
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- User interaction
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- Attack complexity
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- Impact type
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- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
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- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 5 without a fix
No CVSS vector from any source. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
The Linux kernel from 5.8 is affected. The BPF BTF code in btf_struct_walk() does not reject zero-sized element types when a flexible array is accessed past the end of a struct, so it divides by zero. Loading a crafted BPF program that triggers this causes a kernel oops at program load time.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix divide-by-zero in btf_struct_walk() When an access goes past the struct and the last member is a flexible array, btf_struct_walk() folds the offset back into a single element with (off - moff) % t->size, but never checks that the element type has a size. BTF takes an empty struct, so this in program BTF /* event could be empty */ struct event { #ifdef HAVE_TIMESTAMP __u64 ts; #endif }; struct batch { int nr; struct event events[]; }; divides by zero at prog load time. Getting there needs a PTR_TO_BTF_ID that is not MEM_ALLOC, e.g. a plain read of a local kptr stashed in a map from a sleepable program. Oops: divide error: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN PTI RIP: 0010:btf_struct_walk+0x53f/0x1570 Call Trace: <TASK> btf_struct_access+0x42a/0xcd0 check_ptr_to_btf_access+0x4dc/0x1160 check_mem_access+0x3a45/0x8740 check_load_mem+0x36a/0xd10 do_check_common+0x3ef0/0xb210 bpf_check+0x6d3b/0x8580 bpf_prog_load+0xf7c/0x2720 __sys_bpf+0xa83/0x3690 __x64_sys_bpf+0xc7/0x150 x64_sys_call+0x1f3f/0x27e0 do_syscall_64+0xe5/0x610 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e </TASK> Reject a zero-sized element type. The fixed array path in the same function already bails out on the same thing: btf_struct_walk() ... /* skip empty array */ if (moff == mtrue_end) continue; msize /= total_nelems;
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
Upgrade the Linux kernel to 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9 or 7.3. Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, 9 and 10 and Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 and 5 have no fix plan yet (plan none available).
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-10-30
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.222, 6.1.189, 6.6.158, 6.12.112, 6.18.55, 7.2.9, 7.3
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. 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 |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
| Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
Timeline
- 2026-10-18 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-98647
- 2026-10-18 Alias added: GHSA-p98x-gg62-cxq2
- 2026-10-19 Fix available: Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-10-22 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-10-22 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-10-30 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
References
Other 7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ea3820937f8022e044c41c6e95c84b02741b45f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/172756f02663ad45c889c001c1a8cb4082a01a05
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/934e9ba9f8d05656a48624710be67ca4dc8482e6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/63af086cb5fa6f72fd924f86bea4c2194da663a2
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8eb4cd72daad3a9ee63d2281bbdd16ce6d9406b1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b8fa56722e9c43bcd59c51fe4c7edd5f4158a11b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0b3dc66529676228cb938cbcad66920f735c223
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Sources
- CVE-2026-98647 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-98647 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-p98x-gg62-cxq2 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-98647 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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