From: Avinash Pal <avinashpal441@gmail.com>
To: avinashpal441@gmail.com
Cc: bpf@vger.kernel.org, netdev@vger.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH] bpf: verifier: fix NULL deref in map_kptr_match_type() for scalar regs
Date: Sun, 19 Apr 2026 09:29:48 +0530 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260419035948.9498-1-avinashpal441@gmail.com> (raw)
A NULL pointer dereference occurs in map_kptr_match_type() when a BPF
program attempts to store a scalar value (non-pointer register) into a
map slot annotated as a kptr (kernel pointer).
Call chain:
check_store_reg()
-> check_mem_access()
-> check_map_kptr_access()
-> map_kptr_match_type()
-> btf_is_kernel(reg->btf) <-- NULL deref
For scalar registers reg->btf is NULL. map_kptr_match_type() passes
this directly to btf_is_kernel(), which performs a container_of()-based
offset access and triggers a general protection fault:
KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x00000000000000e8-0x00000000000000ef]
RIP: 0010:btf_is_kernel+0x2a/0x50
Fix: add an early NULL guard on reg->btf at the top of
map_kptr_match_type(). If reg->btf is NULL, emit a verifier log message
and return -EACCES so the program is rejected cleanly instead of
crashing the kernel.
Reproducer: store a scalar into a kptr-annotated BPF_MAP_TYPE_LRU_HASH
slot via a kprobe program — verifier crashes during bpf_prog_load().
Reported-by: Le Chen <le.chen@bugzilla.kernel.org>
Link: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=221372
Signed-off-by: Avinash Pal <avinashpal441@gmail.com>
---
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 12 ++++++++++++
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+)
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 69d75515ed..15b8f71074 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -4545,6 +4545,18 @@ static int map_kptr_match_type(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
struct btf_field *kptr_field,
struct bpf_reg_state *reg, u32 regno)
{
+ /*
+ * If the source register has no BTF type (e.g. it is a scalar),
+ * it cannot possibly match a kptr slot. Reject early to avoid
+ * passing a NULL reg->btf to btf_is_kernel(), which would cause
+ * a NULL pointer dereference inside that function.
+ */
+ if (!reg->btf) {
+ verbose(env, "R%d is not a pointer, cannot store into kptr slot\n",
+ regno);
+ return -EACCES;
+ }
+
const char *targ_name = btf_type_name(kptr_field->kptr.btf, kptr_field->kptr.btf_id);
int perm_flags;
const char *reg_name = "";
--
2.53.0
next reply other threads:[~2026-04-19 3:59 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 6+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-04-19 3:59 Avinash Pal [this message]
2026-04-20 4:00 ` [PATCH] bpf: verifier: fix NULL deref in map_kptr_match_type() for scalar regs sashiko-bot
-- strict thread matches above, loose matches on Subject: below --
2026-04-19 4:04 Avinash Pal
2026-04-19 4:32 ` bot+bpf-ci
2026-04-19 5:01 ` sun jian
2026-04-20 4:05 ` sashiko-bot
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