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Unscored CVE-2026-23435 EUVD-2026-18675GHSA-4rrh-p933-rf74

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

Published Apr 3, 2026 · Updated May 23, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.14 Package: linux-aws-6.17 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-aws-6.5 Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.11 Package: linux-azure-6.17 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-6.5 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.11 Package: linux-gcp-6.14 Package: linux-gcp-6.17 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gcp-6.5 Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.15 Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-hwe-6.14 Package: linux-hwe-6.17 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-6.11 Package: linux-nvidia-6.17 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oem-6.11 Package: linux-oem-6.14 Package: linux-oem-6.17 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oem-6.8 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-oracle-6.14 Package: linux-oracle-6.17 Package: linux-oracle-6.5 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-realtime-6.14 Package: linux-realtime-6.17 Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-riscv-6.14 Package: linux-riscv-6.17 Package: linux-riscv-6.5 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Package: linux-vmware Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 6.18.2 – < 6.18.20, 6.17.13 – < 6.18, 6.19 6.18.20

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.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 6.19.10-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 25.10 linux +8 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-riscv +23 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +28 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp +14 No fix yet —
Show 2 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS linux-hwe-edge No fix yet —
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS linux-realtime-6.14 +1 No fix yet —

Amazon Linux

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Amazon Linux 2023 kernel-livepatch-6.18.20-20.229 1:1.0-0.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-1596
Amazon Linux 2023 perf6.18 +14 1:6.18.20-20.229.amzn2023 ALAS2023-2026-1596

Advisories 2

References