CVE-2023-54086 bpf: Add preempt_count_{sub,add} into btf id deny list
A local attacker with high privileges can trigger a kernel panic via BPF trampoline recursion, causing a denial of service.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- An administrator
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2023-54086?
CVE-2023-54086 is a denial of service vulnerability in Linux, published on 24 Dec 2025. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Add preempt_count_{sub,add} into btf id deny list
The recursion check in __bpf_prog_enter* and __bpf_prog_exit* leave preempt_count_{sub,add} unprotected. When attaching trampoline to them we get panic as follows,
[ 867.843050] BUG: TASK stack guard page was hit at 0000000009d325cf (stack is 0000000046a46a15..00000000537e7b28) [ 867.843064] stack guard page: 0000 [#1] PREEMPT SMP NOPTI [ 867.843067] CPU: 8 PID: 11009 Comm: trace Kdump: loaded Not tainted 6.2.0+ #4 [ 867.843100] Call Trace: [ 867.843101] <TASK> [ 867.843104] asm_exc_int3+0x3a/0x40 [ 867.843108] RIP: 0010:preempt_count_sub+0x1/0xa0 [ 867.843135] __bpf_prog_enter_recur+0x17/0x90 [ 867.843148] bpf_trampoline_6442468108_0+0x2e/0x1000 [ 867.843154] ? preempt_count_sub+0x1/0xa0 [ 867.843157] preempt_count_sub+0x5/0xa0 [ 867.843159] ? migrate_enable+0xac/0xf0 [ 867.843164] __bpf_prog_exit_recur+0x2d/0x40 [ 867.843168] bpf_trampoline_6442468108_0+0x55/0x1000 ... [ 867.843788] preempt_count_sub+0x5/0xa0 [ 867.843793] ? migrate_enable+0xac/0xf0 [ 867.843829] __bpf_prog_exit_recur+0x2d/0x40 [ 867.843837] BUG: IRQ stack guard page was hit at 0000000099bd8228 (stack is 00000000b23e2bc4..000000006d95af35) [ 867.843841] BUG: IRQ stack guard page was hit at 000000005ae07924 (stack is 00000000ffd69623..0000000014eb594c) [ 867.843843] BUG: IRQ stack guard page was hit at 00000000028320f0 (stack is 00000000034b6438..0000000078d1bcec) [ 867.843842] bpf_trampoline_6442468108_0+0x55/0x1000 ...
That is because in __bpf_prog_exit_recur, the preempt_count_{sub,add} are called after prog->active is decreased.
Fixing this by adding these two functions into btf ids deny list.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-54086?
How do I fix CVE-2023-54086?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade, then put limits on request size, rate and nesting depth so one client cannot exhaust the service. More about Denial of service.
Is CVE-2023-54086 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-54086 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-54086, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-54086, GHSA-73pg-78qv-48m9, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-54086.