GHSA-5PM5-3FX7-4F4R

Vulnerability from github – Published: 2026-02-14 15:32 – Updated: 2026-03-18 15:30
VLAI
Details

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

perf: Fix refcount warning on event->mmap_count increment

When calling refcount_inc(&event->mmap_count) inside perf_mmap_rb(), the following warning is triggered:

    refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.
    WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25

PoC:

struct perf_event_attr attr = {0};
int fd = syscall(__NR_perf_event_open, &attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);
mmap(NULL, 0x3000, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);
int victim = syscall(__NR_perf_event_open, &attr, 0, -1, fd,
                     PERF_FLAG_FD_OUTPUT);
mmap(NULL, 0x3000, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, victim, 0);

This occurs when creating a group member event with the flag PERF_FLAG_FD_OUTPUT. The group leader should be mmap-ed and then mmap-ing the event triggers the warning.

Since the event has copied the output_event in perf_event_set_output(), event->rb is set. As a result, perf_mmap_rb() calls refcount_inc(&event->mmap_count) when event->mmap_count = 0.

Disallow the case when event->mmap_count = 0. This also prevents two events from updating the same user_page.

Severity
5.5 (Medium)
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Show details on source website
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{
  "affected": [],
  "aliases": [
    "CVE-2026-23127"
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cwe_ids": [],
    "github_reviewed": false,
    "github_reviewed_at": null,
    "nvd_published_at": "2026-02-14T15:16:07Z",
    "severity": "MODERATE"
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nperf: Fix refcount warning on event-\u003emmap_count increment\n\nWhen calling refcount_inc(\u0026event-\u003emmap_count) inside perf_mmap_rb(), the\nfollowing warning is triggered:\n\n        refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.\n        WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25\n\nPoC:\n\n    struct perf_event_attr attr = {0};\n    int fd = syscall(__NR_perf_event_open, \u0026attr, 0, -1, -1, 0);\n    mmap(NULL, 0x3000, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, fd, 0);\n    int victim = syscall(__NR_perf_event_open, \u0026attr, 0, -1, fd,\n                         PERF_FLAG_FD_OUTPUT);\n    mmap(NULL, 0x3000, PROT_READ | PROT_WRITE, MAP_SHARED, victim, 0);\n\nThis occurs when creating a group member event with the flag\nPERF_FLAG_FD_OUTPUT. The group leader should be mmap-ed and then mmap-ing\nthe event triggers the warning.\n\nSince the event has copied the output_event in perf_event_set_output(),\nevent-\u003erb is set. As a result, perf_mmap_rb() calls\nrefcount_inc(\u0026event-\u003emmap_count) when event-\u003emmap_count = 0.\n\nDisallow the case when event-\u003emmap_count = 0. This also prevents two\nevents from updating the same user_page.",
  "id": "GHSA-5pm5-3fx7-4f4r",
  "modified": "2026-03-18T15:30:40Z",
  "published": "2026-02-14T15:32:19Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-23127"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/23c0e4bd93d0b250775162faf456470485ac9fc7"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d06bf78e55d5159c1b00072e606ab924ffbbad35"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.4.0",
  "severity": [
    {
      "score": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H",
      "type": "CVSS_V3"
    }
  ]
}



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