CVE-2026-23127

perf: Fix refcount warning on event->mmap_count increment

State
Published
Severity
Not scored
Published
Feb 14, 2026
Updated
May 11, 2026
Reserved
Jan 13, 2026

Read the record on cve.org

Description

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.

Scores

The record has no CVSS score.

Weaknesses

The record names no weakness.

Affected Products

ProductVersions
LinuxLinux
  • 448f97fba9013ffa13f5dd82febd18836b189499 to before 23c0e4bd93d0b250775162faf456470485ac9fc7Affected
  • 448f97fba9013ffa13f5dd82febd18836b189499 to before d06bf78e55d5159c1b00072e606ab924ffbbad35Affected
LinuxLinux
  • 6.18Affected
  • before 6.18Not affected
  • 6.18.8 through 6.18.*Not affected
  • 6.19 and laterNot affected

References

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