diff --git a/include/linux/bpf.h b/include/linux/bpf.h
index 19d8ca8ac960..bdadb0bb6cec 100644
--- a/include/linux/bpf.h
+++ b/include/linux/bpf.h
@@ -635,6 +635,7 @@ enum bpf_type_flag {
 	 */
 	PTR_UNTRUSTED		= BIT(6 + BPF_BASE_TYPE_BITS),
 
+	/* MEM can be uninitialized. */
 	MEM_UNINIT		= BIT(7 + BPF_BASE_TYPE_BITS),
 
 	/* DYNPTR points to memory local to the bpf program. */
@@ -700,6 +701,13 @@ enum bpf_type_flag {
 	 */
 	MEM_ALIGNED		= BIT(17 + BPF_BASE_TYPE_BITS),
 
+	/* MEM is being written to, often combined with MEM_UNINIT. Non-presence
+	 * of MEM_WRITE means that MEM is only being read. MEM_WRITE without the
+	 * MEM_UNINIT means that memory needs to be initialized since it is also
+	 * read.
+	 */
+	MEM_WRITE		= BIT(18 + BPF_BASE_TYPE_BITS),
+
 	__BPF_TYPE_FLAG_MAX,
 	__BPF_TYPE_LAST_FLAG	= __BPF_TYPE_FLAG_MAX - 1,
 };
@@ -758,10 +766,10 @@ enum bpf_arg_type {
 	ARG_PTR_TO_SOCKET_OR_NULL	= PTR_MAYBE_NULL | ARG_PTR_TO_SOCKET,
 	ARG_PTR_TO_STACK_OR_NULL	= PTR_MAYBE_NULL | ARG_PTR_TO_STACK,
 	ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID_OR_NULL	= PTR_MAYBE_NULL | ARG_PTR_TO_BTF_ID,
-	/* pointer to memory does not need to be initialized, helper function must fill
-	 * all bytes or clear them in error case.
+	/* Pointer to memory does not need to be initialized, since helper function
+	 * fills all bytes or clears them in error case.
 	 */
-	ARG_PTR_TO_UNINIT_MEM		= MEM_UNINIT | ARG_PTR_TO_MEM,
+	ARG_PTR_TO_UNINIT_MEM		= MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | ARG_PTR_TO_MEM,
 	/* Pointer to valid memory of size known at compile time. */
 	ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM	= MEM_FIXED_SIZE | ARG_PTR_TO_MEM,
 
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
index 1a43d06eab28..ca3f0a2e5ed5 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_map_pop_elem_proto = {
 	.gpl_only	= false,
 	.ret_type	= RET_INTEGER,
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_CONST_MAP_PTR,
-	.arg2_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_MAP_VALUE | MEM_UNINIT,
+	.arg2_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_MAP_VALUE | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE,
 };
 
 BPF_CALL_2(bpf_map_peek_elem, struct bpf_map *, map, void *, value)
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_map_peek_elem_proto = {
 	.gpl_only	= false,
 	.ret_type	= RET_INTEGER,
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_CONST_MAP_PTR,
-	.arg2_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_MAP_VALUE | MEM_UNINIT,
+	.arg2_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_MAP_VALUE | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE,
 };
 
 BPF_CALL_3(bpf_map_lookup_percpu_elem, struct bpf_map *, map, void *, key, u32, cpu)
@@ -538,7 +538,7 @@ const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_strtol_proto = {
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_MEM | MEM_RDONLY,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_CONST_SIZE,
 	.arg3_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_ALIGNED,
+	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | MEM_ALIGNED,
 	.arg4_size	= sizeof(s64),
 };
 
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_strtoul_proto = {
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_MEM | MEM_RDONLY,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_CONST_SIZE,
 	.arg3_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_ALIGNED,
+	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | MEM_ALIGNED,
 	.arg4_size	= sizeof(u64),
 };
 
@@ -1742,7 +1742,7 @@ static const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_dynptr_from_mem_proto = {
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_UNINIT_MEM,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_CONST_SIZE_OR_ZERO,
 	.arg3_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_DYNPTR | DYNPTR_TYPE_LOCAL | MEM_UNINIT,
+	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_DYNPTR | DYNPTR_TYPE_LOCAL | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE,
 };
 
 BPF_CALL_5(bpf_dynptr_read, void *, dst, u32, len, const struct bpf_dynptr_kern *, src,
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c b/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c
index de3b681d1d13..e1cfe890e0be 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/ringbuf.c
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_ringbuf_reserve_dynptr_proto = {
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_CONST_MAP_PTR,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
 	.arg3_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_DYNPTR | DYNPTR_TYPE_RINGBUF | MEM_UNINIT,
+	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_DYNPTR | DYNPTR_TYPE_RINGBUF | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE,
 };
 
 BPF_CALL_2(bpf_ringbuf_submit_dynptr, struct bpf_dynptr_kern *, ptr, u64, flags)
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/syscall.c b/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
index a8f1808a1ca5..161ac70e01d2 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/syscall.c
@@ -5877,7 +5877,7 @@ static const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_kallsyms_lookup_name_proto = {
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_MEM,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_CONST_SIZE_OR_ZERO,
 	.arg3_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_ALIGNED,
+	.arg4_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | MEM_ALIGNED,
 	.arg4_size	= sizeof(u64),
 };
 
diff --git a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
index a582cd25ca87..ef954abe7d74 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
@@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ static const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_get_func_arg_proto = {
 	.ret_type	= RET_INTEGER,
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_CTX,
 	.arg2_type	= ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg3_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_ALIGNED,
+	.arg3_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | MEM_ALIGNED,
 	.arg3_size	= sizeof(u64),
 };
 
@@ -1219,7 +1219,7 @@ static const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_get_func_ret_proto = {
 	.func		= get_func_ret,
 	.ret_type	= RET_INTEGER,
 	.arg1_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_CTX,
-	.arg2_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_ALIGNED,
+	.arg2_type	= ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | MEM_ALIGNED,
 	.arg2_size	= sizeof(u64),
 };
 
diff --git a/net/core/filter.c b/net/core/filter.c
index 4e3f42cc6611..6be0c0b86049 100644
--- a/net/core/filter.c
+++ b/net/core/filter.c
@@ -6368,7 +6368,7 @@ static const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_skb_check_mtu_proto = {
 	.ret_type	= RET_INTEGER,
 	.arg1_type      = ARG_PTR_TO_CTX,
 	.arg2_type      = ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg3_type      = ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_ALIGNED,
+	.arg3_type      = ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | MEM_ALIGNED,
 	.arg3_size	= sizeof(u32),
 	.arg4_type      = ARG_ANYTHING,
 	.arg5_type      = ARG_ANYTHING,
@@ -6380,7 +6380,7 @@ static const struct bpf_func_proto bpf_xdp_check_mtu_proto = {
 	.ret_type	= RET_INTEGER,
 	.arg1_type      = ARG_PTR_TO_CTX,
 	.arg2_type      = ARG_ANYTHING,
-	.arg3_type      = ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_ALIGNED,
+	.arg3_type      = ARG_PTR_TO_FIXED_SIZE_MEM | MEM_UNINIT | MEM_WRITE | MEM_ALIGNED,
 	.arg3_size	= sizeof(u32),
 	.arg4_type      = ARG_ANYTHING,
 	.arg5_type      = ARG_ANYTHING,
