perf/x86/amd: Fix crash due to race between amd_pmu_enable_all, perf NMI and throttling
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- High
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Partial Red Hat: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf/x86/amd: Fix crash due to race between amd_pmu_enable_all, perf NMI and throttling amd_pmu_enable_all() does: if (!test_bit(idx, cpuc->active_mask)) continue; amd_pmu_enable_event(cpuc->events[idx]); A perf NMI of another event can come between these two steps. Perf NMI handler internally disables and enables _all_ events, including the one which nmi-intercepted amd_pmu_enable_all() was in process of enabling. If that unintentionally enabled event has very low sampling period and causes immediate successive NMI, causing the event to be throttled, cpuc->events[idx] and cpuc->active_mask gets cleared by x86_pmu_stop(). This will result in amd_pmu_enable_event() getting called with event=NULL when amd_pmu_enable_all() resumes after handling the NMIs. This causes a kernel crash: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000198 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page [...] Call Trace: <TASK> amd_pmu_enable_all+0x68/0xb0 ctx_resched+0xd9/0x150 event_function+0xb8/0x130 ? hrtimer_start_range_ns+0x141/0x4a0 ? perf_duration_warn+0x30/0x30 remote_function+0x4d/0x60 __flush_smp_call_function_queue+0xc4/0x500 flush_smp_call_function_queue+0x11d/0x1b0 do_idle+0x18f/0x2d0 cpu_startup_entry+0x19/0x20 start_secondary+0x121/0x160 secondary_startup_64_no_verify+0xe5/0xeb </TASK> amd_pmu_disable_all()/amd_pmu_enable_all() calls inside perf NMI handler were recently added as part of BRS enablement but I'm not sure whether we really need them. We can just disable BRS in the beginning and enable it back while returning from NMI. This will solve the issue by not enabling those events whose active_masks are set but are not yet enabled in hw pmu.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3
- Exploitation
- None
- Automatable
- No
- Technical impact
- Partial
The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 5.19 and later | 6.0.10, 6.1 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.19 and later Fixed in 6.0.10, 6.1 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 6
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.19 to before 6.0.10 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc4 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* | 6.1 rc5 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.19 to before 6.0.10 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.1:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.1 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.0.10, 6.1
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet: Fix deferred |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2022-49781
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-76hj-mcwf-qj3w
- 2026-11-05 CISA SSVC decision points changed
References
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
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- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2022-49781 · CVE Program
- CVE-2022-49781 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-76hj-mcwf-qj3w · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2022-49781 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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