CVE-2026-45886: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix bpf_xdp_store_bytes proto for read-only arg While making some maps in C...

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix bpf_xdp_store_bytes proto for read-only arg While making some maps in Cilium read-only from the BPF side, we noticed that the bpf_xdp_store_bytes proto is incorrect. In particular, the verifier was throwing the following error: ; ret = ctx_store_bytes(ctx, l3_off + offsetof(struct iphdr, saddr), &nat->address, 4, 0); 635: (79) r1 = *(u64 *)(r10 -144) ; R1=ctx() R10=fp0 fp-144=ctx() 636: (b4) w2 = 26 ; R2=26 637: (b4) w4 = 4 ; R4=4 638: (b4) w5 = 0 ; R5=0 639: (85) call bpf_xdp_store_bytes#190 write into map forbidden, value_size=6 off=0 size=4 nat comes from a BPF_F_RDONLY_PROG map, so R3 is a PTR_TO_MAP_VALUE. The verifier checks the helper's memory access to R3 in check_mem_size_reg, as it reaches ARG_CONST_SIZE argument. The third argument has expected type ARG_PTR_TO_UNINIT_MEM, which includes the MEM_WRITE flag. The verifier thus checks for a BPF_WRITE access on R3. Given R3 points to a read-only map, the check fails. Conversely, ARG_PTR_TO_UNINIT_MEM can also lead to the helper reading from uninitialized memory. This patch simply fixes the expected argument type to match that of bpf_skb_store_bytes.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

5.5/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CVSS 3.0

/10

EPSS Probability

0.21%

11.4th percentile

Probability of exploitation in the next 30 days. Learn more

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-908

Affected Software

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 5.18, < 6.1.165
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.2, < 6.6.128
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.7, < 6.12.75
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.13, < 6.18.14
Linux	Linux Kernel	>= 6.19, < 6.19.4

References

Timeline

Published: May 27, 2026
Last Modified: Jun 25, 2026
Status: Analyzed

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-45886?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Fix bpf_xdp_store_bytes proto for read-only arg While making some maps in Cilium read-only from the BPF side, we noticed that the bpf_xdp_store_bytes proto is incorrect. In particular, the verifier was throwing the following error: ; ret = ctx_store_bytes(ctx, l3_off + offsetof(struct iphdr, saddr), &nat->address, 4, 0); 635: (79) r1 = *(u64 *)(r10 -144) ; R1=ctx() R10=fp0 fp-144=ctx() 636: (b4) w2 = 26 ; R2=26 637: (b4) w4 = 4 ; R4=4 638: (b4) w5 = 0 ; R5=0 639: (85) call bpf_xdp_store_bytes#190 write into map forbidden, value_size=6 off=0 size=4 nat comes from a BPF_F_RDONLY_PROG map, so R3 is a PTR_TO_MAP_VALUE. The verifier checks the helper's memory access to R3 in check_mem_size_reg, as it reaches ARG_CONST_SIZE argument. The third argument has expected type ARG_PTR_TO_UNINIT_MEM, which includes the MEM_WRITE flag. The verifier thus checks for a BPF_WRITE access on R3. Given R3 points to a read-only map, the check fails. Conversely, ARG_PTR_TO_UNINIT_MEM can also lead to the helper reading from uninitialized memory. This patch simply fixes the expected argument type to match that of bpf_skb_store_bytes.

How severe is CVE-2026-45886?

CVE-2026-45886 has a CVSS score of 5.5/10 (MEDIUM severity). The EPSS model estimates a 0.21% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.

How do I fix CVE-2026-45886?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.