eBPF
extended Berkeley Packet Filter - Linux Kernel Virtual Machine
Performance
No kernel restart
Security
Kernel protection
Monitoring
Real-time analysis
What is eBPF?
eBPF (extended Berkeley Packet Filter) is a virtual machine in the Linux kernel that allows executing programs in kernel space without modifying kernel source code or loading modules. eBPF provides safe and efficient extension of kernel functionality for monitoring, security, and performance. BPF was introduced in Linux 3.18 (2014), while eBPF evolved from 4.1+ (2015) with full feature support by 5.0+ (2019).
eBPF technology is used to create high-performance network filters, monitoring systems, security tools, and debugging instruments. eBPF programs are verified for safety before execution and can be loaded into the kernel without system reboot, making them ideal for production environments. XDP (eXpress Data Path) is an eBPF extension for in-kernel packet processing with minimal latency.
Documentation:
eBPF is part of the Linux kernel. Main documentation is available in Linux kernel documentation and on eBPF.io website. XDP (eXpress Data Path) is an eBPF extension for high-performance packet processing.
Technical Specs
Platform
Linux Kernel
Kernel Version
Linux 3.18+ (BPF), 4.1+ (basic eBPF), 5.0+ (full features)
Extensions
XDP, TC, Tracepoints
Applications
DDoS mitigation, Firewall, Monitoring
eBPF in Security
Applications
- DDoS Mitigation
- Firewalling
- Load Balancing
- Network Monitoring
Benefits
- Minimal overhead
- Dynamic loading
- Full visibility
- XDP support
eBPF Evolution in Linux Kernel
Feature Support by Kernel Version
* BPF: Original Berkeley Packet Filter basic functionality
* eBPF: Extended BPF with full modern tooling support
* XDP: eXpress Data Path for in-kernel packet processing
* Tracing: Real-time program tracing and debugging
eBPF Overhead Comparison
Overhead Compared to Alternatives
* CPU Overhead (%) - CPU utilization percentage
* Memory Overhead (%) - memory consumption
* Latency (relative) - relative latency impact
* Flexibility (0-100) - feature flexibility