In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Preserve special fields in recycled rhtab elements rhtab_map_update_elem() initializes special fields after obtaining an element from bpf_mem_cache_alloc()

Overview

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

bpf: Preserve special fields in recycled rhtab elements

rhtab_map_update_elem() initializes special fields after obtaining an element from bpf_mem_cache_alloc(). The allocator can return a fresh, zeroed unit, or recycle one from its RCU-pending lists before the registered destructor has run.

A BPF program can retain a map-value pointer after deleting its element and initialize and arm a timer through that pointer. If the deleted unit is recycled, check_and_init_map_value() clears the only pointer to the timer. Neither a later deletion nor rhtab_mem_dtor() can then cancel it, and the callback can run with its key and value pointing into freed memory.

Do not reinitialize special fields on insertion. Fresh allocator units are already zeroed. For recycled units, the special fields are ownership state that must remain visible to the eventual destructor. copy_map_value() already skips those fields, matching the non-preallocated hash-map path and the lifecycle established by commit 275c30bcee66 ("bpf: Don't reinit map value in prealloc_lru_pop").

[ kkd: Split out the fix and rewrote the commit log ]

Remediation

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

Vendor advisories

• Red Hat VEX · Moderate · updated 2026-09-28 · vex