CVE-2026-74720 bpf: Preserve pointer state for commuted arithmetic
A flaw in the Linux kernel BPF verifier mishandles pointer states during commuted arithmetic, potentially allowing memory corruption and privilege escalation.
- 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
What is CVE-2026-74720?
CVE-2026-74720 is a high-severity memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 22 Aug 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: 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.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-74720?
How do I fix CVE-2026-74720?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. Memory-safe languages, compiler hardening and fuzzing prevent most new cases. More about Memory corruption.
Is CVE-2026-74720 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-74720 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-97209, BELL-CVE-2026-74720, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-74720, GHSA-6hg3-qqfj-f5ww, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-74720.