CVE-2026-98589

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Reject pkt arguments in mutating subprogs The verifier tracks changes in how PTR_TO_PACKET registers' bounds are modified across subprog boundaries. PTR_TO_PACKET registers are actually passed as PTR_TO_MEM, which is assumed valid for the entire call. This is not the case with packet memory, where a pskb_* call may invalidate its memory region. Reject BPF code that passes PTR_TO_PACKET pointers to subprogs that may mutate a packet. We cannot pass the pointer as a true PTR_TO_PACKET because we would also need to somehow pass the PTR_TO_PACKET_META or PTR_TO_PACKET_END to the subprog. Since we cannot avoid representing the pointer in the subprog as PTR_TO_MEM, only permit it if the subprog is guaranteed not to mutate the packet.

Package Linux Kernel
Published 2026-10-18
Last modified 2026-10-18
Patch available
Yes

Affected versions

Fixed in 7.2.9, 7.3 and their respective stable series.

Fixed in
✓ 7.2.9 7.2.x ✓ 7.3

Frequently asked questions

  • What is CVE-2026-98589?

    CVE-2026-98589 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . CVE-2026-98589 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.

  • Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-98589?

    Yes. CVE-2026-98589 has been patched. Fixed versions include 7.2.9 and 7.3.

  • Is CVE-2026-98589 actively exploited?

    No. CVE-2026-98589 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.