# CVE-2024-26589: bpf: Reject variable offset alu on PTR_TO_FLOW_KEYS > A flaw in the Linux kernel BPF subsystem allows out-of-bounds memory access via variable offset ALU operations, potentially leading to crashes or code execution. - **Severity:** High 7.8 (`CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H`) - **Exploited in the wild:** Not known - **Login needed:** Any signed-in user - **Attackable:** Local or same network only - **Victim action needed:** Not needed - **Fix available:** Yes - **Published:** 22 Feb 2024 - **Updated:** 5 Aug 2026 - **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2024-26589, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-26589, GHSA-rw7c-wqqw-8w6c, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2024-26589, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-26589 ## What is CVE-2024-26589? CVE-2024-26589 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Feb 2024. 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: Reject variable offset alu on PTR_TO_FLOW_KEYS For PTR_TO_FLOW_KEYS, check_flow_keys_access() only uses fixed off for validation. However, variable offset ptr alu is not prohibited for this ptr kind. So the variable offset is not checked. The following prog is accepted: func#0 @0 0: R1=ctx() R10=fp0 0: (bf) r6 = r1 ; R1=ctx() R6_w=ctx() 1: (79) r7 = *(u64 *)(r6 +144) ; R6_w=ctx() R7_w=flow_keys() 2: (b7) r8 = 1024 ; R8_w=1024 3: (37) r8 /= 1 ; R8_w=scalar() 4: (57) r8 &= 1024 ; R8_w=scalar(smin=smin32=0, smax=umax=smax32=umax32=1024,var_off=(0x0; 0x400)) 5: (0f) r7 += r8 mark_precise: frame0: last_idx 5 first_idx 0 subseq_idx -1 mark_precise: frame0: regs=r8 stack= before 4: (57) r8 &= 1024 mark_precise: frame0: regs=r8 stack= before 3: (37) r8 /= 1 mark_precise: frame0: regs=r8 stack= before 2: (b7) r8 = 1024 6: R7_w=flow_keys(smin=smin32=0,smax=umax=smax32=umax32=1024,var_off =(0x0; 0x400)) R8_w=scalar(smin=smin32=0,smax=umax=smax32=umax32=1024, var_off=(0x0; 0x400)) 6: (79) r0 = *(u64 *)(r7 +0) ; R0_w=scalar() 7: (95) exit This prog loads flow_keys to r7, and adds the variable offset r8 to r7, and finally causes out-of-bounds access: BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffc90014c80038 [...] Call Trace: bpf_dispatcher_nop_func include/linux/bpf.h:1231 [inline] __bpf_prog_run include/linux/filter.h:651 [inline] bpf_prog_run include/linux/filter.h:658 [inline] bpf_prog_run_pin_on_cpu include/linux/filter.h:675 [inline] bpf_flow_dissect+0x15f/0x350 net/core/flow_dissector.c:991 bpf_prog_test_run_flow_dissector+0x39d/0x620 net/bpf/test_run.c:1359 bpf_prog_test_run kernel/bpf/syscall.c:4107 [inline] __sys_bpf+0xf8f/0x4560 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5475 __do_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5561 [inline] __se_sys_bpf kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5559 [inline] __x64_sys_bpf+0x73/0xb0 kernel/bpf/syscall.c:5559 do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 [inline] do_syscall_64+0x3f/0x110 arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0x6b Fix this by rejecting ptr alu with variable offset on flow_keys. Applying the patch rejects the program with "R7 pointer arithmetic on flow_keys prohibited". Weakness: CWE-119 (Improper Restriction of Operations within the Bounds of a Memory Buffer) ## Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-26589? It affects 1 product. Products: Linux kernel. ## How do I fix CVE-2024-26589? Apply the vendor's patch. ## Is CVE-2024-26589 being exploited? There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26589 in the wild and no public exploit code. ## Other vulnerabilities in Linux kernel - [CVE-2026-53266](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53266/): Linux Kernel Out-of-Bounds Write (high 8.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2013-6282](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-6282/): Linux Kernel Improper Input Validation (high 8.8, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2022-0185](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2022-0185/): Linux Kernel Heap-Based Buffer Overflow (high 8.4, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2013-2094](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2013-2094/): Linux Kernel Privilege Escalation (high 8.4, exploited in the wild) - [CVE-2026-53362](https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53362/): Linux Kernel Unspecified (high 7.8, exploited in the wild) ## Fix prompt for AI coding agents ```text Check this codebase for CVE-2024-26589 and fix it if it is affected. What it is: CVE-2024-26589 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim. Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26589 in the wild and no public exploit code. Affected product: Linux kernel. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page. Task: 1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies. 2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it. 3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead. 4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why. 5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing. Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26589/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26589/index.md) ``` ## Sources - CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2024-26589 - NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2024-26589 - OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2024-26589 --- From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2024-26589/ Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.