Description
The x86_assign_hw_event function in arch/x86/kernel/cpu/perf_event.c in the Performance Events subsystem in the Linux kernel before 2.6.39 does not properly calculate counter values, which allows local users to cause a denial of service (panic) via the perf program.
Fixed in Linux distributions
Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 6 | perf +14 | 2.6.32-131.17.1.el6 | RHSA-2011:1350 |
Advisories 1
- RHSA-2011:1350 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
References
- https://github.com/torvalds/linux/commit/fc66c5210ec2539e800e87d7b3a985323c7be96e
- http://git.kernel.org/?p=linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux-2.6.git%3Ba=commit%3Bh=fc66c5210ec2539e800e87d7b3a985323c7be96e
- http://ftp.osuosl.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/ChangeLog-2.6.39
- [oss-security] 20110706 Re: CVE request: kernel: perf, x86: fix Intel fixed counters base initialization mailing-list
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=719228