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Mallory
High

Linux kernel BPF verifier incorrect state pruning due to atomic fetch precision tracking

IdentifiersCVE-2026-43009CWE-670

CVE-2026-43009 is a flaw in the Linux kernel BPF verifier's backtracking logic, specifically in backtrack_insn handling of BPF_STX instructions that use BPF_ATOMIC together with BPF_FETCH. For atomic fetch operations, the source register, or r0 in the BPF_CMPXCHG case, is not only an input operand but also a destination that receives the old value from memory. The prior verifier logic treated these instructions like ordinary stores and failed to propagate precision tracking to the corresponding stack slot. As a result, the stack location was not marked precise, and later verifier path-pruning could incorrectly conclude that two verifier states were equivalent even when their stack states differed. The fix extends BPF_LDX-style handling in backtrack_insn to atomic fetch instructions via is_atomic_fetch_insn(), clears the tracked fetch destination register when appropriate, and propagates precision to the stack slot. For non-stack memory, precision tracking stops at the atomic instruction as with regular BPF_LDX.

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ANALYST BRIEF

Impact, mitigation & remediation

What it means. What to do now. Patch path, mitigations, and the assume-compromise checklist.

Impact

What an attacker gets, and what they’ve been doing with it.

The primary impact is incorrect BPF verifier behavior: distinct execution states can be merged and pruned as equivalent when they are not. This can undermine verifier correctness and, according to the provided CVSS assessments, may enable local attackers with low privileges to achieve high impact to confidentiality, integrity, and availability. At minimum, the flaw can permit acceptance or misclassification of unsafe BPF program behavior due to faulty verifier state tracking.

Mitigation

If you can’t patch tonight, do this now.

Restrict unprivileged or low-privilege access to BPF capabilities until patched, since exploitation requires local access and the ability to load or otherwise exercise affected BPF verifier paths. Limit who can create/load BPF programs, disable unprivileged BPF where operationally feasible, and reduce exposure on systems that permit user-controlled eBPF usage. These are temporary risk-reduction measures and do not replace patching.

Remediation

Patch, then assume compromise.

Update to a Linux kernel release that includes the fix for CVE-2026-43009, described upstream as "bpf: Fix incorrect pruning due to atomic fetch precision tracking." Vendor advisories indicate fixes have been released across multiple supported SUSE kernel package lines, including SLES 15 SP7, SLES 16.0, SLE Micro 6.x, and openSUSE Leap 16.0 binary kernel packages. Apply the vendor-provided kernel update and reboot into the patched kernel.
PUBLIC EXPLOITS

Exploits

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VALID 0 / 0 TOTALView more in app

No public exploit code observed for this vulnerability.

EXPOSURE SURFACE

Affected products & vendors

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VendorProductType
LinuxLinux Kerneloperating_system

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ACTIVITY FEED

Recent activity

7 sources tracked across advisories and community write-ups. News coverage will land here when it surfaces.

No news coverage yet. Advisories and community discussion only.

What this page doesn’t show

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Exposure mapping

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Threat actor evidence

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Associated malware

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Detection signatures

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Vendor-by-vendor mapping

Cross-references every affected SKU, including bundled OEM variants.

Social activity2

Community discussion across Reddit, Mastodon, and other social sources.