CVE-2022-49961

bpf: Do mark_chain_precision for ARG_CONST_ALLOC_SIZE_OR_ZERO

HIGH
7.1
CVSS Score
Published: June 18, 2025 at 11:00 AM UTC
Updated: October 30, 2026 at 01:17 PM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
HIGH7.1
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.3%

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Do mark_chain_precision for ARG_CONST_ALLOC_SIZE_OR_ZERO Precision markers need to be propagated whenever we have an ARG_CONST_* style argument, as the verifier cannot consider imprecise scalars to be equivalent for the purposes of states_equal check when such arguments refine the return value (in this case, set mem_size for PTR_TO_MEM). The resultant mem_size for the R0 is derived from the constant value, and if the verifier incorrectly prunes states considering them equivalent where such arguments exist (by seeing that both registers have reg->precise as false in regsafe), we can end up with invalid programs passing the verifier which can do access beyond what should have been the correct mem_size in that explored state. To show a concrete example of the problem: 0000000000000000 <prog>: 0: r2 = *(u32 *)(r1 + 80) 1: r1 = *(u32 *)(r1 + 76) 2: r3 = r1 3: r3 += 4 4: if r3 > r2 goto +18 <LBB5_5> 5: w2 = 0 6: *(u32 *)(r1 + 0) = r2 7: r1 = *(u32 *)(r1 + 0) 8: r2 = 1 9: if w1 == 0 goto +1 <LBB5_3> 10: r2 = -1 0000000000000058 <LBB5_3>: 11: r1 = 0 ll 13: r3 = 0 14: call bpf_ringbuf_reserve 15: if r0 == 0 goto +7 <LBB5_5> 16: r1 = r0 17: r1 += 16777215 18: w2 = 0 19: *(u8 *)(r1 + 0) = r2 20: r1 = r0 21: r2 = 0 22: call bpf_ringbuf_submit 00000000000000b8 <LBB5_5>: 23: w0 = 0 24: exit For the first case, the single line execution's exploration will prune the search at insn 14 for the branch insn 9's second leg as it will be verified first using r2 = -1 (UINT_MAX), while as w1 at insn 9 will always be 0 so at runtime we don't get error for being greater than UINT_MAX/4 from bpf_ringbuf_reserve. The verifier during regsafe just sees reg->precise as false for both r2 registers in both states, hence considers them equal for purposes of states_equal. If we propagated precise markers using the backtracking support, we would use the precise marking to then ensure that old r2 (UINT_MAX) was within the new r2 (1) and this would never be true, so the verification would rightfully fail. The end result is that the out of bounds access at instruction 19 would be permitted without this fix. Note that reg->precise is always set to true when user does not have CAP_BPF (or when subprog count is greater than 1 (i.e. use of any static or global functions)), hence this is only a problem when precision marks need to be explicitly propagated (i.e. privileged users with CAP_BPF). A simplified test case has been included in the next patch to prevent future regressions.

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

5.8 ≤ v < 5.19.8457f44363a8894135c85b7a9afd2bd8196db24ab6.06.0 rc16.0 rc26.0 rc3
Vendor states this is fixed in 2459615a8d7f44ac81f0965bc094e55ccb254717 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2fc31465c5373b5ca4edf2e5238558cb62902311 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 987b4c465ba28c662ca857be6c20fd2d96bc55f0 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.273 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.209 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.19.8 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.8 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.0 (unaffected)

Remediation

No guide yet

No remediation guidance has been written for this CVE yet. What the record does show:

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
LOW
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
HIGH
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusMODIFIED
CWE
CWE-125

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