# CVE-2026-53078: bpf: Fix same-register dst/src OOB read and pointer leak in sock_ops

> A flaw in Linux kernel BPF sock_ops allows attackers to leak kernel pointers or cause out-of-bounds reads via specific register usage.

- **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:** 24 Jun 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-90669, BELL-CVE-2026-53078, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-53078, GHSA-pwr6-cvf5-35f3, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-11-CVE-2026-53078, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-12-CVE-2026-53078, ROOT-OS-DEBIAN-13-CVE-2026-53078, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2204-CVE-2026-53078, ROOT-OS-UBUNTU-2404-CVE-2026-53078, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-53078

## What is CVE-2026-53078?

CVE-2026-53078 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 Jun 2026. 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: Fix same-register dst/src OOB read and pointer leak in sock_ops

When a BPF sock_ops program accesses ctx fields with dst_reg == src_reg,
the SOCK_OPS_GET_SK() and SOCK_OPS_GET_FIELD() macros fail to zero the
destination register in the !fullsock / !locked_tcp_sock path.

Both macros borrow a temporary register to check is_fullsock /
is_locked_tcp_sock when dst_reg == src_reg, because dst_reg holds the
ctx pointer. When the check is false (e.g., TCP_NEW_SYN_RECV state with
a request_sock), dst_reg should be zeroed but is not, leaving the stale
ctx pointer:

 - SOCK_OPS_GET_SK: dst_reg retains the ctx pointer, passes NULL checks
   as PTR_TO_SOCKET_OR_NULL, and can be used as a bogus socket pointer,
   leading to stack-out-of-bounds access in helpers like
   bpf_skc_to_tcp6_sock().

 - SOCK_OPS_GET_FIELD: dst_reg retains the ctx pointer which the
   verifier believes is a SCALAR_VALUE, leaking a kernel pointer.

Fix both macros by:
 - Changing JMP_A(1) to JMP_A(2) in the fullsock path to skip the
   added instruction.
 - Adding BPF_MOV64_IMM(si->dst_reg, 0) after the temp register
   restore in the !fullsock path, placed after the restore because
   dst_reg == src_reg means we need src_reg intact to read ctx->temp.

Weakness: CWE-125 (Out-of-bounds Read)

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-53078?

It affects 1 product.


Products: Linux kernel.

## How do I fix CVE-2026-53078?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-53078 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-53078 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-2026-53078 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-53078 is a high-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 24 Jun 2026. 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-2026-53078 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-2026-53078/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53078/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-53078
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-53078
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-53078

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-53078/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.