{ "dataType": "CVE_RECORD", "dataVersion": "5.2", "cveMetadata": { "cveId": "CVE-2026-23435", "assignerOrgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "state": "PUBLISHED", "assignerShortName": "Linux", "dateReserved": "2026-01-13T15:37:46.017Z", "datePublished": "2026-04-03T15:15:20.465Z", "dateUpdated": "2026-05-23T16:04:50.015Z" }, "containers": { "cna": { "providerMetadata": { "orgId": "416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67", "shortName": "Linux", "dateUpdated": "2026-05-23T16:04:50.015Z" }, "descriptions": [ { "lang": "en", "value": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nperf/x86: Move event pointer setup earlier in x86_pmu_enable()\n\nA production AMD EPYC system crashed with a NULL pointer dereference\nin the PMU NMI handler:\n\n BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000198\n RIP: x86_perf_event_update+0xc/0xa0\n Call Trace:\n \n amd_pmu_v2_handle_irq+0x1a6/0x390\n perf_event_nmi_handler+0x24/0x40\n\nThe faulting instruction is `cmpq $0x0, 0x198(%rdi)` with RDI=0,\ncorresponding to the `if (unlikely(!hwc->event_base))` check in\nx86_perf_event_update() where hwc = &event->hw and event is NULL.\n\ndrgn inspection of the vmcore on CPU 106 showed a mismatch between\ncpuc->active_mask and cpuc->events[]:\n\n active_mask: 0x1e (bits 1, 2, 3, 4)\n events[1]: 0xff1100136cbd4f38 (valid)\n events[2]: 0x0 (NULL, but active_mask bit 2 set)\n events[3]: 0xff1100076fd2cf38 (valid)\n events[4]: 0xff1100079e990a90 (valid)\n\nThe event that should occupy events[2] was found in event_list[2]\nwith hw.idx=2 and hw.state=0x0, confirming x86_pmu_start() had run\n(which clears hw.state and sets active_mask) but events[2] was\nnever populated.\n\nAnother event (event_list[0]) had hw.state=0x7 (STOPPED|UPTODATE|ARCH),\nshowing it was stopped when the PMU rescheduled events, confirming the\nthrottle-then-reschedule sequence occurred.\n\nThe root cause is commit 7e772a93eb61 (\"perf/x86: Fix NULL event access\nand potential PEBS record loss\") which moved the cpuc->events[idx]\nassignment out of x86_pmu_start() and into step 2 of x86_pmu_enable(),\nafter the PERF_HES_ARCH check. This broke any path that calls\npmu->start() without going through x86_pmu_enable() -- specifically\nthe unthrottle path:\n\n perf_adjust_freq_unthr_events()\n -> perf_event_unthrottle_group()\n -> perf_event_unthrottle()\n -> event->pmu->start(event, 0)\n -> x86_pmu_start() // sets active_mask but not events[]\n\nThe race sequence is:\n\n 1. A group of perf events overflows, triggering group throttle via\n perf_event_throttle_group(). All events are stopped: active_mask\n bits cleared, events[] preserved (x86_pmu_stop no longer clears\n events[] after commit 7e772a93eb61).\n\n 2. While still throttled (PERF_HES_STOPPED), x86_pmu_enable() runs\n due to other scheduling activity. Stopped events that need to\n move counters get PERF_HES_ARCH set and events[old_idx] cleared.\n In step 2 of x86_pmu_enable(), PERF_HES_ARCH causes these events\n to be skipped -- events[new_idx] is never set.\n\n 3. The timer tick unthrottles the group via pmu->start(). Since\n commit 7e772a93eb61 removed the events[] assignment from\n x86_pmu_start(), active_mask[new_idx] is set but events[new_idx]\n remains NULL.\n\n 4. A PMC overflow NMI fires. The handler iterates active counters,\n finds active_mask[2] set, reads events[2] which is NULL, and\n crashes dereferencing it.\n\nMove the cpuc->events[hwc->idx] assignment in x86_pmu_enable() to\nbefore the PERF_HES_ARCH check, so that events[] is populated even\nfor events that are not immediately started. This ensures the\nunthrottle path via pmu->start() always finds a valid event pointer." } ], "affected": [ { "product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "unaffected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": [ "arch/x86/events/core.c" ], "versions": [ { "version": "6b089028bff1f2ff9e0c62b8f1faca1a620e5d6e", "lessThan": "886fa869153917d902784098922defa20c3a2fe5", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "7e772a93eb61cb6265bdd1c5bde17d0f2718b452", "lessThan": "c1dd1e2b722d3f1f2e4977dad8d1be78fdfb30cb", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "7e772a93eb61cb6265bdd1c5bde17d0f2718b452", "lessThan": "8d5fae6011260de209aaf231120e8146b14bc8e0", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "cf69b99805c263117305ac6dffbc85aaf9259d32", "status": "affected", "versionType": "git" }, { "version": "6.18.2", "lessThan": "6.18.20", "status": "affected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.17.13", "lessThan": "6.18", "status": "affected", "versionType": "semver" } ] }, { "product": "Linux", "vendor": "Linux", "defaultStatus": "affected", "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git", "programFiles": [ "arch/x86/events/core.c" ], "versions": [ { "version": "6.19", "status": "affected" }, { "version": "0", "lessThan": "6.19", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.18.20", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.18.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "6.19.10", "lessThanOrEqual": "6.19.*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "semver" }, { "version": "7.0", "lessThanOrEqual": "*", "status": "unaffected", "versionType": "original_commit_for_fix" } ] } ], "cpeApplicability": [ { "nodes": [ { "operator": "OR", "negate": false, "cpeMatch": [ { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.18.2", "versionEndExcluding": "6.18.20" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.19", "versionEndExcluding": "6.19.10" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.19", "versionEndExcluding": "7.0" }, { "vulnerable": true, "criteria": "cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*", "versionStartIncluding": "6.17.13" } ] } ] } ], "references": [ { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/886fa869153917d902784098922defa20c3a2fe5" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c1dd1e2b722d3f1f2e4977dad8d1be78fdfb30cb" }, { "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8d5fae6011260de209aaf231120e8146b14bc8e0" } ], "title": "perf/x86: Move event pointer setup earlier in x86_pmu_enable()", "x_generator": { "engine": "bippy-1.2.0" } } } }