CVE-2026-89791perf: Fix use-after-free when perf mmap() revival races with the last munmap()
- 7.8HighCVSS base score
- 0.18%Exploitation in 30 daysEPSS · top 92% of all CVEs
- NoKnown exploitednot in CISA's KEV catalog
- NonePublic exploitsnone known yet
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.
Timeline
ID reserved
By Linux
- 5 days later
· 5 days later
Published
- 33 days later
· 33 days later
Record updated
Changes after publication (a new score, a public exploit, EPSS crossing 1, 10 or 50 %, leaving KEV) are kept since November 2026; earlier ones are not known.
Scores
| Scored by | CVSS | Score | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|
| LinuxCNA (assigner) | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| NVDNVD · Received | 3.1 | High7.8 | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
- EPSS (exploitation in 30 days)
- 0.18% · top 92% of all CVEs (13 Nov 2026)
The list uses the assigner's score when there is one, then CISA's, then NVD's: High 7.8.
Affected products
- affected 59741451b49ce9964a9758c19d6f7df2a1255c75 – < 929cb3b9dc818dd9fa89d510d4ff2b255e42badd
- affected 59741451b49ce9964a9758c19d6f7df2a1255c75 – < 0c739f54f1c77f3a4643160cd2e031b6c2f2aab6
- affected 59741451b49ce9964a9758c19d6f7df2a1255c75 – < 58a8108bc73de0740d5b88150465d6690ea5f85f
- affected 6.18
- unaffected < 6.18
- unaffected 6.18.52 – ≤ 6.18.*
- unaffected 7.2.5 – ≤ 7.2.*
- unaffected 7.3 – ≤ *
References
Sources
The same CVE in the primary databases and aggregators, to check against.
- CVE.org record (opens in a new tab)
- CVE List JSON (GitHub) (opens in a new tab)
- NVD (opens in a new tab)
- FIRST EPSS (opens in a new tab)
- EUVD EUVD-2026-80312 (opens in a new tab)
- OSV.dev (opens in a new tab)
- GitHub Advisories (opens in a new tab)
- CIRCL Vulnerability-Lookup (opens in a new tab)
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[](https://cveledger.app/cve/CVE-2026-89791)Record last updated .