---
id: CVE-2026-74720
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  bpf: Preserve pointer state for commuted arithmetic

  When scalar += pointer is handled in adjust_ptr_min_max_vals(), the
  destination register inherits the pointer state…
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  bpf: Preserve pointer state for commuted arithmetic

  When scalar += pointer is handled in adjust_ptr_min_max_vals(), the
  destination register inherits the pointer state…
severity: high
cvss: 7.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
cwe:
  - CWE-20
vendor: Linux
product: Linux
affected:
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    86b203aadc2930e0a4f9c6277b5b80ff3664c472
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    8109c25e0c41f5f19a1c2380bb49c991a877494e
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    d1959028190a7649b926f5867a58de5fe221b23c
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    8cb23101a3fcc7432b451ea3d0f14a90711f4acf
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    29c239f8dbec5ab33a61796724d189bddee6cd4b
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    db6382ed3361bdd8129572a3423956cba1dae829
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    eaffa1495e4fe6330aeff9f323ea3d48b01f118a
  - >-
    Linux >= f4d7e40a5b7157e1329c3c5b10f60d8289fc2941 <
    a4c6f804b44c5c790269b25e0e61cf4e9f117c86
  - Linux 4.16
published: '2026-08-22'
updated: '2026-10-16'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-16T20:17:54.560'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74720'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/29c239f8dbec5ab33a61796724d189bddee6cd4b'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8109c25e0c41f5f19a1c2380bb49c991a877494e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/86b203aadc2930e0a4f9c6277b5b80ff3664c472'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8cb23101a3fcc7432b451ea3d0f14a90711f4acf'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a4c6f804b44c5c790269b25e0e61cf4e9f117c86'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d1959028190a7649b926f5867a58de5fe221b23c'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/db6382ed3361bdd8129572a3423956cba1dae829'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/eaffa1495e4fe6330aeff9f323ea3d48b01f118a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: >-
      https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-74720.json
  - url: 'https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-74720'
  - url: 'https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2521477'
  - url: 'https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-74720'
  - url: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-74720'
  - url: 'https://kernelcve.org/list/?q=CVE-2026-74720'
  - url: >-
      https://lore.kernel.org/linux-cve-announce/2026082239-CVE-2026-74720-a11f@gregkh/T
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
  - csaf
  - vex
  - red-hat
epss: 0.00129
epssPercentile: 0.0254
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-16T19:15:35.375502Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-10-14T13:30:58.547Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

bpf: Preserve pointer state for commuted arithmetic

When scalar += pointer is handled in adjust_ptr_min_max_vals(), the
destination register inherits the pointer state from the source pointer.
Copying only selected fields is fragile because pointer provenance is
tracked by several bpf_reg_state fields.

Use the caller's temporary offset register to preserve the scalar operand
while replacing the destination with the full pointer state. This preserves
the frame number for PTR_TO_STACK registers and keeps parent identity
fields consistent.

## Remediation

Refer to the linked advisories for vendor-supplied fixes and affected version ranges.

## Vendor advisories

- **Red Hat VEX** · Moderate · affected: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · no fix planned: Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8, Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 · updated 2026-10-26 · [vex](https://security.access.redhat.com/data/csaf/v2/vex/2026/cve-2026-74720.json)