Linux KernelOperating system · Linux
CVE-2026-53094
Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.
NVD · uneditedIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix stale offload->prog pointer after constant blinding When a dev-bound-only BPF program (BPF_F_XDP_DEV_BOUND_ONLY) undergoes JIT compilation with constant blinding enabled (bpf_jit_harden >= 2), bpf_jit_blind_constants() clones the program. The original prog is then freed in bpf_jit_prog_release_other(), which updates aux->prog to point to the surviving clone, but fails to update offload->prog. This leaves offload->prog pointing to the freed original program. When the network namespace is subsequently destroyed, cleanup_net() triggers bpf_dev_bound_netdev_unregister(), which iterates ondev->progs and calls __bpf_prog_offload_destroy(offload->prog). Accessing the freed prog causes a page fault: BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffc900085f1038 Workqueue: netns cleanup_net RIP: 0010:__bpf_prog_offload_destroy+0xc/0x80 Call Trace: __bpf_offload_dev_netdev_unregister+0x257/0x350 bpf_dev_bound_netdev_unregister+0x4a/0x90 unregister_netdevice_many_notify+0x2a2/0x660 ... cleanup_net+0x21a/0x320 The test sequence that triggers this reliably is: 1. Set net.core.bpf_jit_harden=2 (echo 2 > /proc/sys/net/core/bpf_jit_harden) 2. Run xdp_metadata selftest, which creates a dev-bound-only XDP program on a veth inside a netns (./test_progs -t xdp_metadata) 3. cleanup_net -> page fault in __bpf_prog_offload_destroy Dev-bound-only programs are unique in that they have an offload structure but go through the normal JIT path instead of bpf_prog_offload_compile(). This means they are subject to constant blinding's prog clone-and-replace, while also having offload->prog that must stay in sync. Fix this by updating offload->prog in bpf_jit_prog_release_other(), alongside the existing aux->prog update. Both are back-pointers to the prog that must be kept in sync when the prog is replaced.
Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.
dbcve analysis · high confidenceA use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel BPF subsystem where dev-bound-only XDP programs with constant blinding enabled (bpf_jit_harden >= 2) leave a stale offload->prog pointer after JIT compilation clones the program. When the network namespace is destroyed, bpf_dev_bound_netdev_unregister() attempts to use the freed original program pointer, causing a page fault.
Verify against the referenced sources before acting — the references below are authoritative for this CVE, this summary is not.
Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.
NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
>= 6.3, < 6.6.141>= 6.7, < 6.12.91>= 6.13, < 6.18.33>= 6.19, < 7.0.10CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.
From the vector- Attack vector
- Local
- Complexity
- Low
- Privileges
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Scope
- Unchanged
- Confidentiality
- High
- Integrity
- High
- Availability
- High
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
Am I affected? How to checkSteps we derive from the advisory and the affected-version data, so you can decide whether this CVE reaches your setup. They are a guide, not a scan — your own configuration is the authority.
dbcve checksWork through these to decide whether this CVE applies to you.
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Verify if BPF/XDP programs are loadedRun 'bpftool prog list' or check 'ls /sys/kernel/debug/bpf/' to see if any BPF programs exist. Also check 'ip link' for XDP attachments.Affected if No BPF/XDP programs loaded means not affected.
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Check for dev-bound XDP programsUse 'bpftool prog list' and look for XDP programs with the BPF_F_XDP_DEV_BOUND_ONLY flag. This flag is set when XDP is attached with 'xdpgeneric' on a device in a different namespace, or explicitly via bpf() system call with the flag.Affected if Affected only if XDP programs with BPF_F_XDP_DEV_BOUND_ONLY flag are loaded.
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Verify JIT constant blinding is enabledCheck the bpf_jit_harden setting: 'cat /proc/sys/kernel/bpf_jit_harden'. A value of 2 or higher means JIT constant blinding is enabled.Affected if Only affected if bpf_jit_harden >= 2. Values 0 or 1 are not affected.
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Confirm both conditions are metCombine steps 2 and 3: verify dev-bound XDP programs exist AND bpf_jit_harden is >= 2.Affected if Affected if BOTH dev-bound XDP programs are present AND bpf_jit_harden >= 2.
You are affected only if you have dev-bound-only XDP programs (BPF_F_XDP_DEV_BOUND_ONLY) loaded on a system with bpf_jit_harden >= 2. Without either condition, the vulnerability does not apply.
Generated from the published advisory. Verify against your own configuration.
Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.
From vendor data6.6.1416.12.916.18.33
Apply the kernel patch to update offload->prog in bpf_jit_prog_release_other() alongside the aux->prog update, or upgrade to a fixed kernel version. As a workaround, disable constant blinding by setting net.core.bpf_jit_harden to 0 or 1.
Fix this in Linux Kernel
Scoped from the published advisory
- Consultation2.0 h
- Implementation1.0 h
- Testing4.0 h
- Review / QA2.0 h
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Scan for this in your stack
Free · runs locallyCheck whether your project pulls in CVE-2026-53094 — or any other known-vulnerable package — straight from your lock files. Free and open source; it runs locally and uploads nothing.
References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.
Primary sourcesPractitioner notes
ContributedPeer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2026-53094 in production — separate from our analysis above.
The advisory tells you what broke. It rarely tells you what actually worked. If you’ve dealt with this one, that detail is what the next engineer is searching for.
- The version that genuinely resolved it — not the one the vendor claimed
- A config change or rule that shut the vector down
- A gotcha in the upgrade path that cost you an afternoon
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