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TI-2026-18870 Aliases CVE-2026-23435GHSA-4rrh-p933-rf74

perf/x86: Move event pointer setup earlier in x86_pmu_enable()

Priority LOW 24CWE-476Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Fixed

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA. Impact type from CWE-476.

Summary

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf/x86: Move event pointer setup earlier in x86_pmu_enable() A production AMD EPYC system crashed with a NULL pointer dereference in the PMU NMI handler: BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000198 RIP: x86_perf_event_update+0xc/0xa0 Call Trace: <NMI> amd_pmu_v2_handle_irq+0x1a6/0x390 perf_event_nmi_handler+0x24/0x40 The faulting instruction is `cmpq $0x0, 0x198(%rdi)` with RDI=0, corresponding to the `if (unlikely(!hwc->event_base))` check in x86_perf_event_update() where hwc = &event->hw and event is NULL. drgn inspection of the vmcore on CPU 106 showed a mismatch between cpuc->active_mask and cpuc->events[]: active_mask: 0x1e (bits 1, 2, 3, 4) events[1]: 0xff1100136cbd4f38 (valid) events[2]: 0x0 (NULL, but active_mask bit 2 set) events[3]: 0xff1100076fd2cf38 (valid) events[4]: 0xff1100079e990a90 (valid) The event that should occupy events[2] was found in event_list[2] with hw.idx=2 and hw.state=0x0, confirming x86_pmu_start() had run (which clears hw.state and sets active_mask) but events[2] was never populated. Another event (event_list[0]) had hw.state=0x7 (STOPPED|UPTODATE|ARCH), showing it was stopped when the PMU rescheduled events, confirming the throttle-then-reschedule sequence occurred. The root cause is commit 7e772a93eb61 ("perf/x86: Fix NULL event access and potential PEBS record loss") which moved the cpuc->events[idx] assignment out of x86_pmu_start() and into step 2 of x86_pmu_enable(), after the PERF_HES_ARCH check. This broke any path that calls pmu->start() without going through x86_pmu_enable() -- specifically the unthrottle path: perf_adjust_freq_unthr_events() -> perf_event_unthrottle_group() -> perf_event_unthrottle() -> event->pmu->start(event, 0) -> x86_pmu_start() // sets active_mask but not events[] The race sequence is: 1. A group of perf events overflows, triggering group throttle via perf_event_throttle_group(). All events are stopped: active_mask bits cleared, events[] preserved (x86_pmu_stop no longer clears events[] after commit 7e772a93eb61). 2. While still throttled (PERF_HES_STOPPED), x86_pmu_enable() runs due to other scheduling activity. Stopped events that need to move counters get PERF_HES_ARCH set and events[old_idx] cleared. In step 2 of x86_pmu_enable(), PERF_HES_ARCH causes these events to be skipped -- events[new_idx] is never set. 3. The timer tick unthrottles the group via pmu->start(). Since commit 7e772a93eb61 removed the events[] assignment from x86_pmu_start(), active_mask[new_idx] is set but events[new_idx] remains NULL. 4. A PMC overflow NMI fires. The handler iterates active counters, finds active_mask[2] set, reads events[2] which is NULL, and crashes dereferencing it. Move the cpuc->events[hwc->idx] assignment in x86_pmu_enable() to before the PERF_HES_ARCH check, so that events[] is populated even for events that are not immediately started. This ensures the unthrottle path via pmu->start() always finds a valid event pointer.

Why it matters now

EPSS 0.00125 2nd percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Fixed Linux (Linux): 6.18.20, 6.18, 6.19.10 +1

SSVC decision points

Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux6.18.2 to before 6.18.20; 6.17.13 to before 6.186.18.20, 6.18Patch availableCNA
LinuxLinux6.19 and later6.18.20, 6.19.10, 7.0Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.18.2 to before 6.18.20; 6.17.13 to before 6.18 Fixed in 6.18.20, 6.18 Patch available CNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 6.19 and later Fixed in 6.18.20, 6.19.10, 7.0 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 9

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*6.17.13 to before 6.18; 6.18.2 to before 6.18.20; 6.19.1 to before 6.19.10VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:-:*:*:*:*:*:*6.19VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc1VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc2VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc3VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc4VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc5VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc6VulnerableLinux
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*7.0 rc7VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.17.13 to before 6.18; 6.18.2 to before 6.18.20; 6.19.1 to before 6.19.10 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.19:-:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 6.19 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc4 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc5 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc6 Vulnerable ·Linux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:7.0:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 7.0 rc7 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.20, 6.18
  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.20, 6.19.10, 7.0

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat's page for this CVE →

Not affected: 5 products
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-23435
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-4rrh-p933-rf74

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • 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
See all 15278 →

Sources