Linux Kernel BPF Subprog Exception Lock Checking Vulnerability (CVE-2026-31526)
CVE-2026-31526 Published on April 22, 2026
bpf: Fix exception exit lock checking for subprogs
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Fix exception exit lock checking for subprogs
process_bpf_exit_full() passes check_lock = !curframe to
check_resource_leak(), which is false in cases when bpf_throw() is
called from a static subprog. This makes check_resource_leak() to skip
validation of active_rcu_locks, active_preempt_locks, and
active_irq_id on exception exits from subprogs.
At runtime bpf_throw() unwinds the stack via ORC without releasing any
user-acquired locks, which may cause various issues as the result.
Fix by setting check_lock = true for exception exits regardless of
curframe, since exceptions bypass all intermediate frame
cleanup. Update the error message prefix to "bpf_throw" for exception
exits to distinguish them from normal BPF_EXIT.
Fix reject_subprog_with_rcu_read_lock test which was previously
passing for the wrong reason. Test program returned directly from the
subprog call without closing the RCU section, so the error was
triggered by the unclosed RCU lock on normal exit, not by
bpf_throw. Update __msg annotations for affected tests to match the
new "bpf_throw" error prefix.
The spin_lock case is not affected because they are already checked [1]
at the call site in do_check_insn() before bpf_throw can run.
[1] https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/kernel/bpf/verifier.c?h=v7.0-rc4#n21098
Products Associated with CVE-2026-31526
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Affected Versions
Linux:- Version f18b03fabaa9b7c80e80b72a621f481f0d706ae0 and below c0281da1f2aa5c2fca3a05f79b86bea96591c358 is affected.
- Version f18b03fabaa9b7c80e80b72a621f481f0d706ae0 and below 5a399f3117642494e35545f6ca397d3e177c1f9b is affected.
- Version f18b03fabaa9b7c80e80b72a621f481f0d706ae0 and below 6c2128505f61b504c79a20b89596feba61388112 is affected.
- Version 6.7 is affected.
- Before 6.7 is unaffected.
- Version 6.18.21, <= 6.18.* is unaffected.
- Version 6.19.11, <= 6.19.* is unaffected.
- Version 7.0, <= * is unaffected.