CVE-2026-74344: bpf: Clear rb node linkage when freeing bpf_rb_root

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-08-15 · updated 2026-10-21

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Clear rb node linkage when freeing bpf_rb_root bpf_rb_root_free() detaches the root by copying the current rb_root_cached and then replacing the live root with RB_ROOT_CACHED. It then walks the copied root and drops each object contained in the tree. This leaves the rb node state intact while dropping the object. If the object is refcounted and survives the drop, its bpf_rb_node_kern still contains an owner pointer to the freed root and stale rb tree linkage. If a later bpf_rb_root allocation reuses the same address, bpf_rbtree_remove() can incorrectly pass the owner check and call rb_erase_cached() on a node whose rb pointers belong to the old tree. Mirror the list draining behavior by marking nodes as busy while the root is being detached, then clear the rb node and release the owner before dropping the containing object. This makes surviving nodes unowned and safe to reject from remove or accept for a later add.

Affected products

Linux kernel: from 6.2.15 before 6.3; 6.3 — fixed in 6.3, 7.2

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 6.3, 7.2. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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