Description
A race condition in perf_event_open() allows local attackers to leak sensitive data from setuid programs. As no relevant locks (in particular the cred_guard_mutex) are held during the ptrace_may_access() call, it is possible for the specified target task to perform an execve() syscall with setuid execution before perf_event_alloc() actually attaches to it, allowing an attacker to bypass the ptrace_may_access() check and the perf_event_exit_task(current) call that is performed in install_exec_creds() during privileged execve() calls. This issue affects kernel versions before 4.8.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Linux Foundation | kernel | older then 4.8 | — |
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.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 4.6.1-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 4.6.1-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | 4.6.1-1 | — |
| Debian 8 | linux | 3.16.68-1 | DLA-1799-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp-6.11 +4 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +2 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +5 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux | 4.4.0-28.47 | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-raspi2 | 4.4.0-1016.22 | — |
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-snapdragon | 4.4.0-1019.22 | — |
| Ubuntu 14.04 LTS | linux-lts-xenial | 4.4.0-28.47~14.04.1 | — |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde-5.15 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | linux | No fix yet | — |
Red Hat
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7 | kernel +15 | 3.10.0-1127.el7 | RHSA-2020:1016 |
| RHEL 7 | kernel-rt +10 | 3.10.0-1127.rt56.1093.el7 | RHSA-2020:1070 |
| RHEL 7 | perf +2 | 3.10.0-957.56.1.el7 | RHSA-2020:2851, RHSA-2020:1016 |
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| RHEL 7.7 EUS | perf +18 | 3.10.0-1062.26.1.el7 | RHSA-2020:2522 |
| RHEL 7.6 EUS | perf +18 | 3.10.0-957.56.1.el7 | RHSA-2020:2851 |
Oracle Linux
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oracle Linux 7 | kernel-uek +5 | 4.1.12-124.56.1.el7uek | ELSA-2021-9473 |
| Oracle Linux 7 | perf +12 | 3.10.0-1127.el7 | ELSA-2020-1016 |
Advisories 7
- RHSA-2020:2851 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2020:2522 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2020:1070 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel-rt security and bug fix update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- RHSA-2020:1016 Red Hat Security Advisory: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update Red Hat Security Advisories (RHSA) · Jun 28, 2026
- DLA-1799-1 linux - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
- ELSA-2021-9473 Important: Unbreakable Enterprise kernel security update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Oct 8, 2021
- ELSA-2020-1016 Moderate: kernel security, bug fix, and enhancement update (Oracle Linux 7) Oracle Linux Security Advisories (ELSA) · Apr 6, 2020
References
- 89937 vdb-entry
- [debian-lts-announce] 20190528 [SECURITY] [DLA 1799-1] linux security update mailing-list
- [debian-lts-announce] 20190528 [SECURITY] [DLA 1799-2] linux security update mailing-list
- https://security.netapp.com/advisory/ntap-20190517-0005/
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=CVE-2019-3901