# CVE-2026-98641: bpf, arm64: set up the frame pointer for the exception callback

> A flaw in the Linux kernel's BPF arm64 exception callback handling allows memory corruption, potentially leading to privilege escalation or code execution.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **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:** 18 Oct 2026
- **Updated:** 19 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** BELL-CVE-2026-98641, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-98641, GHSA-rmw7-mmh2-5m8g, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-98641

## What is CVE-2026-98641?

CVE-2026-98641 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 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, arm64: set up the frame pointer for the exception callback

A program acting as exception boundary saves all callee-saved registers,
so build_prologue() takes the exception_cb path and never calls
push_callee_regs(). That is the only place find_used_callee_regs() runs,
and with it the only place ctx->fp_used is set, so the callback prologue
does not emit the

  mov x25, sp

that points BPF_REG_FP at the frame the callback runs on. x25 keeps
whatever it held when bpf_throw() was called. If the throw came from a
subprogram that uses its own BPF stack, that is the subprogram's frame
pointer, and since the subprogram never returns it never restores x25
either.

Stack accesses through BPF_REG_FP are rewritten to be stack pointer
relative, so those still land in the callback's own frame. Materializing
the register does not: a callback that passes the address of a local
variable to a helper hands over an address in the dead subprogram's
frame. That address is below the callback's stack pointer by then, and
the helper's own call chain covers it, so the helper can write over its
own return address. 0x1234 below is the value the helper was asked to
store:

  pc : 0x1234
  lr : 0x1234
  Call trace:
   0x1234 (P)
   bpf_test_run+0x188/0x3e0
   bpf_prog_test_run_skb+0x47c/0x998
   __sys_bpf+0xbdc/0xdd8
  Kernel panic - not syncing: Oops: Fatal exception in interrupt

Set ctx->fp_used on the exception callback path so that the existing code
further down sets x25 from the stack pointer. The epilogue restores it
from the main program's save area along with the other callee-saved
registers, as it already does. x86 sets the frame pointer for the
callback from the argument it is passed, and powerpc computes it from
the stack pointer.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-98641?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-98641?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-98641 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-98641 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-98641 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-98641 is a memory corruption vulnerability in Linux, published on 18 Oct 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-2026-98641 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. 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-2026-98641/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98641/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-98641
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-98641
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-98641

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-98641/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.