CVE-2026-31521

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

module: Fix kernel panic when a symbol st_shndx is out of bounds

The module loader doesn't check for bounds of the ELF section index in simplify_symbols():

   for (i = 1; i < symsec->sh_size / sizeof(Elf_Sym); i++) {
	const char *name = info->strtab + sym[i].st_name;

	switch (sym[i].st_shndx) {
	case SHN_COMMON:

	[...]

	default:
		/* Divert to percpu allocation if a percpu var. */
		if (sym[i].st_shndx == info->index.pcpu)
			secbase = (unsigned long)mod_percpu(mod);
		else

/** HERE –> **/ secbase = info->sechdrs[sym[i].st_shndx].sh_addr; sym[i].st_value += secbase; break; } }

A symbol with an out-of-bounds st_shndx value, for example 0xffff (known as SHN_XINDEX or SHN_HIRESERVE), may cause a kernel panic:

BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: … RIP: 0010:simplify_symbols+0x2b2/0x480 … Kernel panic - not syncing: Fatal exception

This can happen when module ELF is legitimately using SHN_XINDEX or when it is corrupted.

Add a bounds check in simplify_symbols() to validate that st_shndx is within the valid range before using it.

This issue was discovered due to a bug in llvm-objcopy, see relevant discussion for details [1].

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/linux-modules/20251224005752.201911-1-ihor.solodrai@linux.dev/

Affected Software

Weaknesses

References

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d16f519b6eb1d071807e57efe0df2baa8d32ad6
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4bbdb0e48176fd281c2b9a211b110db6fd94e175
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/082f15d2887329e0f43fd3727e69365f5bfe5d2c
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ec2b22a58073f80739013588af448ff6e2ab906f
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef75dc1401d8e797ee51559a0dd0336c225e1776
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6ba6957c640f58dc8ef046981a045da43e47ea23
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9d69d5e7bde2295eb7488a56f094ac8f5383b92

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