CVE-2026-72427

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix effective prog array index with BPF_F_PREORDER replace_effective_prog() and purge_effective_progs() located the slot in the effective array by walking the program hlist and counting entries linearly. That count does not match the array layout: compute_effective_ progs() places BPF_F_PREORDER programs at the front (ancestor cgroup first, attach order within a cgroup) and the rest after them (descendant cgroup first). So when a preorder program is present, the linear hlist position no longer equals the program's index in the effective array. For replace_effective_prog() (bpf_link_update()) this overwrote the wrong slot, corrupting the effective order. For purge_effective_progs(), it could dummy out a slot belonging to a different program and leave the detached program in the array while bpf_prog_put() drops its reference, i.e. a use-after-free. Fix both by replaying compute_effective_progs()'s placement (including the per-cgroup preorder reversal) in a shared effective_prog_pos() helper. Identify the entry by its struct bpf_prog_list pointer rather than by (prog, link) value, so the lookup resolves to exactly the attachment the syscall selected even when the same bpf_prog is attached to several cgroups in the hierarchy.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-08-15
Last modified 2026-08-15
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Linux kernel versions 6.6.93, 6.12.31, 6.14.9, 6.15 and later are affected. Fixed in 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40, 7.1.5, 7.2-rc1 and their respective stable series.

Affected from
≥ 6.6.93 ≥ 6.12.31 ≥ 6.14.9 ≥ 6.15
Fixed in
✓ 6.6.145 6.6.x ✓ 6.12.97 6.12.x ✓ 6.18.40 6.18.x ✓ 7.1.5 7.1.x ✓ 7.2-rc1

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-72427?

    CVE-2026-72427 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 6.6.93 onward and has been patched in 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40 and others. CVE-2026-72427 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-72427?

    Yes. CVE-2026-72427 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.145, 6.12.97, 6.18.40 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 6.6.93 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.

  • Is CVE-2026-72427 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-72427 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.