Files
linux/tools/lib
Naveed Khan 77f02c9926 libbpf: Fix double-free of distilled base BTF on .BTF.ext parse error
When btf_parse_elf() is called without a caller-supplied base_btf (i.e.
via the public btf__parse_elf()) and the object file carries a .BTF.base
(distilled base) section, a dist_base_btf object is created and used as
the base of the split BTF built from the .BTF section.  Because base_btf
is NULL, the relocation block that would otherwise free and clear
dist_base_btf is skipped, and ownership of dist_base_btf is instead
transferred to the split btf by setting btf->owns_base = true.

That ownership transfer was performed before the fallible btf_ext__new()
call that parses the .BTF.ext section.  If .BTF.ext is malformed,
btf_ext__new() fails and the function jumps to the error path, which
frees dist_base_btf directly and then frees btf.  Since owns_base is
already set, btf__free(btf) also frees btf->base_btf, which is the same
dist_base_btf object.  The result is a use-after-free read followed by a
double free of the base BTF, driven entirely by a crafted object file
(a .BTF + .BTF.base + malformed .BTF.ext combination) passed to
btf__parse_elf(), as used by bpftool, pahole and similar tools.

Transfer ownership only after .BTF.ext has been parsed successfully, so
that any earlier failure leaves dist_base_btf owned solely by the local
cleanup path and it is freed exactly once.

Signed-off-by: Naveed Khan <naveed@digiscrypt.com>
Signed-off-by: Andrii Nakryiko <andrii@kernel.org>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/178345549172.94179.7948304165383170781@digiscrypt.com
2026-07-10 14:53:29 -07:00
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