CVE-2026-89791
7.8 HIGHPublished 2026-09-16 · Updated 2026-09-16
AI risk analysis
- Summary
- This flaw in the Linux kernel allows a local unprivileged user to perform a use-after-free attack on a perf mmap object, leading to potential local privilege escalation to root.
- Exploitability
- Exploitation requires concurrent access to the perf mmap object and the ability to trigger the race condition, making it moderately difficult.
- Blast radius
- If exploited, the attack could allow a local user to escalate privileges to root, impacting the entire system.
- Detection
- No reliable host or network indicator is derivable from the published description.
- Prioritized remediation
- Upgrade to the latest version of the affected Linux kernel, ensuring it includes the fix for this vulnerability.
Analysis generated locally by qwen2.5:7b-instruct (no data left the box). AI-assisted — verify against primary sources before acting.
NVD description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Fix use-after-free when perf mmap() revival races with the last munmap() perf_mmap_close() drops rb->mmap_count *without* holding event->mmap_mutex (the refcount_dec_and_test() right before the refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock() of event->mmap_count). A concurrent perf_mmap_rb() can slot its entire "revival" path into that window (perf_mmap holds event->mmap_mutex for its whole duration, including rb_alloc): munmap side (perf_mmap_close) mmap side (perf_mmap_rb) ----------------------------------- -------------------------------- rb->mmap_count 1 -> 0 (no lock) (holds event->mmap_mutex) inc_not_zero(rb->mmap_count) fails ring_buffer_attach(event, NULL) rb_alloc() + attach new rb refcount_set(&event->mmap_count, 1) lock; event->mmap_count 1 -> 0 ring_buffer_attach(event, NULL) ring_buffer_put() -> frees the *new* rb The revival's refcount_set(&event->mmap_count, 1) is an invisible 1 -> 1 write: the close frees the just-revived buffer although the other process still has it mapped -- a page-level use-after-free allowing local privilege escalation to root by any unprivileged user (default kernel.perf_event_paranoid=2). Swap the order of the two counter updates: event->mmap_count is dropped first via refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock(), so its 1 -> 0 transition and the ring_buffer_attach() stay serialized with perf_mmap(). rb->mmap_count == 0 then implies every event using the buffer is detached already, so the result of the rb->mmap_count drop can gate the remaining teardown directly and detach_rest is no longer needed. An earlier fix for this race from Kyle Zeng and David Lee takes event->mmap_mutex around both counter updates [0]; here the not-last close stays lockless.
CVSS vector
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
References
Data: NVD (public domain). Analysis: local $0 model. Defensive use only.