CVE-2025-38279

What it is

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Do not include stack ptr register in precision backtracking bookkeeping Yi Lai reported an issue ([1]) where the following warning appears in kernel dmesg: [ 60.643604] verifier backtracking bug [ 60.643635] WARNING: CPU: 10 PID: 2315 at kernel/bpf/verifier.c:4302 __mark_chain_precision+0x3a6c/0x3e10 [ 60.648428] Modules linked in: bpf_testmod(OE) [ 60.650471] CPU: 10 UID: 0 PID: 2315 Comm: test_progs Tainted: G OE 6.15.0-rc4-gef11287f8289-dirty #327 PREEMPT(full) [ 60.654385] Tainted: [O]=OOT_MODULE, [E]=UNSIGNED_MODULE [ 60.656682] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.14.0-0-g155821a1990b-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 [ 60.660475] RIP: 0010:__mark_chain_precision+0x3a6c/0x3e10 [ 60.662814] Code: 5a 30 84 89 ea e8 c4 d9 01 00 80 3d 3e 7d d8 04 00 0f 85 60 fa ff ff c6 05 31 7d d8 04 01 48 c7 c7 00 58 30 84 e8 c4 06 a5 ff <0f> 0b e9 46 fa ff ff 48 ... [ 60.668720] RSP: 0018:ffff888116cc7298 EFLAGS: 00010246 [ 60.671075] RAX: 54d70e82dfd31900 RBX: ffff888115b65e20 RCX: 0000000000000000 [ 60.673659] RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: 0000000000000004 RDI: 00000000ffffffff [ 60.676241] RBP: 0000000000000400 R08: ffff8881f6f23bd3 R09: 1ffff1103ede477a [ 60.678787] R10: dffffc0000000000 R11: ffffed103ede477b R12: ffff888115b60ae8 [ 60.681420] R13: 1ffff11022b6cbc4 R14: 00000000fffffff2 R15: 0000000000000001 [ 60.684030] FS: 00007fc2aedd80c0(0000) GS:ffff88826fa8a000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 60.686837] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 60.689027] CR2: 000056325369e000 CR3: 000000011088b002 CR4: 0000000000370ef0 [ 60.691623] Call Trace: [ 60.692821] <TASK> [ 60.693960] ? __pfx_verbose+0x10/0x10 [ 60.695656] ? __pfx_disasm_kfunc_name+0x10/0x10 [ 60.697495] check_cond_jmp_op+0x16f7/0x39b0 [ 60.699237] do_check+0x58fa/0xab10 ... Further analysis shows the warning is at line 4302 as below: 4294 /* static subprog call instruction, which 4295 * means that we are exiting current subprog, 4296 * so only r1-r5 could be still requested as 4297 * precise, r0 and r6-r10 or any stack slot in 4298 * the current frame should be zero by now 4299 */ 4300 if (bt_reg_mask(bt) & ~BPF_REGMASK_ARGS) { 4301 verbose(env, "BUG regs %x\n", bt_reg_mask(bt)); 4302 WARN_ONCE(1, "verifier backtracking bug"); 4303 return -EFAULT; 4304 } With the below test (also in the next patch): __used __naked static void __bpf_jmp_r10(void) { asm volatile ( "r2 = 2314885393468386424 ll;" "goto +0;" "if r2 <= r10 goto +3;" "if r1 >= -1835016 goto +0;" "if r2 <= 8 goto +0;" "if r3 <= 0 goto +0;" "exit;" ::: __clobber_all); } SEC("?raw_tp") __naked void bpf_jmp_r10(void) { asm volatile ( "r3 = 0 ll;" "call __bpf_jmp_r10;" "r0 = 0;" "exit;" ::: __clobber_all); } The following is the verifier failure log: 0: (18) r3 = 0x0 ; R3_w=0 2: (85) call pc+2 caller: R10=fp0 callee: frame1: R1=ctx() R3_w=0 R10=fp0 5: frame1: R1=ctx() R3_w=0 R10=fp0 ; asm volatile (" \ @ verifier_precision.c:184 5: (18) r2 = 0x20202000256c6c78 ; frame1: R2_w=0x20202000256c6c78 7: (05) goto pc+0 8: (bd) if r2 <= r10 goto pc+3 ; frame1: R2_w=0x20202000256c6c78 R10=fp0 9: (35) if r1 >= 0xffe3fff8 goto pc+0 ; frame1: R1=ctx() 10: (b5) if r2 <= 0x8 goto pc+0 mark_precise: frame1: last_idx 10 first_idx 0 subseq_idx -1 mark_precise: frame1: regs=r2 stack= before 9: (35) if r1 >= 0xffe3fff8 goto pc+0 mark_precise: frame1: regs=r2 stack= before 8: (bd) if r2 <= r10 goto pc+3 mark_preci ---truncated---

At a glance

Exploitability

Can be exploited locally on the machine with a low-privilege account. High risk of data exposure, data tampering, service disruption.

Exploit odds

0.2% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days (EPSS).

Fix

A patch, advisory or fixed version is referenced. Upgrade or apply it.

Timeline

1. 2025-07-10 08:15 UTC PublishedDisclosed publicly on CVE.org and NVD
2. 2026-11-05 21:18 UTC Last updatedMost recent change to the record

Why it ranks here

• Exploited in the wild: no, CISA does not list it.
• Exploit odds: 0.2% in the next 30 days (EPSS).
• Severity: 7.8 HIGH (CVSS).
• Fix: a patch or advisory is linked.

Details

Published

2025-07-10 08:15 UTC

Last modified

2026-11-05 21:18 UTC

Exploit probability

0.2% · EPSS, next 30 days

Record status

Modified

Affected

• Linux Kernel < 6.12.37
• Linux Kernel < 6.15.3

Attack profile CVSS 3.1 · 7.8

Attack vector

Local

Complexity

Low

Privileges needed

Low

User interaction

None

Scope

Unchanged

Confidentiality

High

Integrity

High

Availability

High

Is it in your code?

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