In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
perf/x86/intel: KVM: Mask PEBS_ENABLE loaded for guest with vCPU's value.
When generating the MSR_IA32_PEBS_ENABLE value that will be loaded on VM-Entry to a KVM guest, mask the value with the vCPU's desired PEBS_ENABLE value. Consulting only the host kernel's host vs. guest masks results in running the guest with PEBS enabled even when the guest doesn't want to use PEBS. Because KVM uses perf events to proxy the guest virtual PMU, simply looking at exclude_host can't differentiate between events created by host userspace, and events created by KVM on behalf of the guest.
Running the guest with PEBS unexpectedly enabled typically manifests as crashes due to a near-infinite stream of #PFs. E.g. if the guest hasn't written MSR_IA32_DS_AREA, the CPU will hit page faults on address '0' when trying to record PEBS events.
The issue is most easily reproduced by running `perf kvm top` from before commit 7b100989b4f6 ("perf evlist: Remove __evlist__add_default") (after which, `perf kvm top` effectively stopped using PEBS). The userspace side of perf creates a guest-only PEBS event, which intel_guest_get_msrs() misconstrues a guest-*owned* PEBS event.
Arguably, this is a userspace bug, as enabling PEBS on guest-only events simply cannot work, and userspace can kill VMs in many other ways (there is no danger to the host). However, even if this is considered to be bad userspace behavior, there's zero downside to perf/KVM restricting PEBS to guest-owned events.
Note, commit 854250329c02 ("KVM: x86/pmu: Disable guest PEBS temporarily in two rare situations") fixed the case where host userspace is profiling KVM *and* userspace, but missed the case where userspace is profiling only KVM.
CVSS Details
- CVSS 3.1 Base Score: 8.7
- CVSS 3.1 Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:L/I:H/A:H)
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon_linux_2023 | — | Upgrade kernel-livepatch-6.12.29-33.102Upgrade kernel-livepatch-6.1.140-154.222Upgrade kernel6.12Upgrade kernel-libbpf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade python3-perf6.12Upgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-modules-extra-commonUpgrade kernel-modules-extraUpgrade perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade python3-perfUpgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade perfUpgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-libbpfUpgrade kernel6.12-modules-extraUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade python3-perf-debuginfoUpgrade python3-perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-libbpf-staticUpgrade perf6.12Upgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade kernelUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-headersUpgrade kernel-libbpf-devel | Sep 9, 2025 | May 20, 2025 |
| Debian | — | Upgrade linux-6.1Upgrade linux | May 28, 2025 | May 20, 2025 |
| Redhat_linux | — | No solution exists | Jul 9, 2025 | May 20, 2025 |
| Suse | — | Upgrade cluster-md-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-symsUpgrade kernel-source-azureUpgrade dtb-hisiliconUpgrade dtb-mediatekUpgrade kselftests-kmp-64kbUpgrade dtb-armUpgrade dtb-exynosUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-64kb-develUpgrade kernel-rt-develUpgrade kernel-64kb-extraUpgrade kernel-default-optionalUpgrade dlm-kmp-64kbUpgrade dtb-lgUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-rtUpgrade dtb-rockchipUpgrade dtb-allwinnerUpgrade dtb-caviumUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-64kbUpgrade gfs2-kmp-64kbUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-azureUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-rtUpgrade kernel-default-vdsoUpgrade kernel-rt_debug-develUpgrade kernel-devel-azureUpgrade kernel-sourceUpgrade kernel-debugUpgrade dtb-sprdUpgrade dtb-nvidiaUpgrade gfs2-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade dtb-xilinxUpgrade kernel-source-vanillaUpgrade kernel-kvmsmall-develUpgrade kernel-devel-rtUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-syms-azureUpgrade dtb-qcomUpgrade gfs2-kmp-defaultUpgrade dtb-alteraUpgrade kernel-azure-optionalUpgrade kernel-default-base-rebuildUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-64kbUpgrade dtb-apmUpgrade dtb-renesasUpgrade dtb-amdUpgrade gfs2-kmp-rtUpgrade kernel-default-develUpgrade dtb-freescaleUpgrade kselftests-kmp-rtUpgrade kernel-docsUpgrade dtb-socionextUpgrade kernel-source-rtUpgrade kernel-obs-buildUpgrade dtb-marvellUpgrade kernel-azure-vdsoUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-rtUpgrade kernel-syms-rtUpgrade kernel-debug-vdsoUpgrade kernel-rt-livepatch-develUpgrade kernel-defaultUpgrade kernel-default-livepatchUpgrade dtb-broadcomUpgrade kernel-rt_debugUpgrade kernel-rt-extraUpgrade kernel-64kbUpgrade kernel-docs-htmlUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-rtUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-64kbUpgrade kselftests-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-rt-vdsoUpgrade kernel-default-livepatch-develUpgrade kernel-azure-develUpgrade dlm-kmp-rtUpgrade kselftests-kmp-azureUpgrade dtb-amazonUpgrade kernel-macrosUpgrade kernel-rt-optionalUpgrade kernel-azureUpgrade dtb-appleUpgrade dlm-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-default-extraUpgrade kernel-debug-develUpgrade kernel-obs-qaUpgrade kernel-azure-extraUpgrade kernel-64kb-optionalUpgrade dtb-amlogicUpgrade kernel-zfcpdumpUpgrade kernel-rt_debug-vdsoUpgrade kernel-kvmsmall-vdsoUpgrade kernel-kvmsmallUpgrade kernel-default-baseUpgrade dlm-kmp-azureUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-default | Dec 5, 2025 | Jul 8, 2025 |
| Ubuntu | — | Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-ibmUpgrade linux-image-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-azureUpgrade linux-image-aws-6.14Upgrade linux-image-gcp-6.14Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-6.8Upgrade linux-image-lowlatency-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-oem-22.04cUpgrade linux-image-ibm-classicUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-24-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidia-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-oracle-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-azure-6.14Upgrade linux-image-oracle-6.8Upgrade linux-image-raspi-realtime-6.8Upgrade linux-image-generic-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-aws-fipsUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1011-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1023-xilinxUpgrade linux-image-generic-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gke-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oem-22.04aUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-awsUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-ibm-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gke-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-aws-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-raspiUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1044-ibmUpgrade linux-image-azure-fipsUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gkeop-6.8Upgrade linux-image-virtual-6.14Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-24-genericUpgrade linux-image-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-azure-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-azureUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-6.8Upgrade linux-image-realtime-6.8.1Upgrade linux-image-oem-22.04bUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-6.8.1-1041-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-virtual-6.8Upgrade linux-image-generic-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-oracle-6.14Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1006-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-raspiUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-aws-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-aws-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-gkeUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-oracleUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-gcp-fipsUpgrade linux-image-genericUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidia-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-genericUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-oracleUpgrade linux-image-ibm-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-raspi-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-awsUpgrade linux-image-raspi-6.14Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-gkeopUpgrade linux-image-oem-22.04Upgrade linux-image-xilinx-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcp-fipsUpgrade linux-image-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-realtime-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-virtual-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1051-azureUpgrade linux-image-generic-6.14Upgrade linux-image-generic-lpaeUpgrade linux-image-gcp-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1030-gkeopUpgrade linux-image-xilinxUpgrade linux-image-realtime-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-azure-6.8Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-gcpUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-oem-6.14Upgrade linux-image-oem-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-2037-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-realtime-6.14Upgrade linux-image-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-raspiUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1007-oemUpgrade linux-image-oem-24.04cUpgrade linux-image-kvmUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-fipsUpgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-aws-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-gcp-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-azure-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-virtual-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-gcpUpgrade linux-image-azure-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-aws-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-aws-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1010-azureUpgrade linux-image-xilinx-zynqmpUpgrade linux-image-oracleUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-intel-iot-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-oem-24.04aUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1011-gcpUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-intel-iotgUpgrade linux-image-virtualUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-gkeUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-gcp-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-aws-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-oem-22.04dUpgrade linux-image-awsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-lowlatency-64k | Jun 26, 2025 | May 20, 2025 |
| Vmware Photon_os | — | Use 'tdnf update' to upgrade all packages to the latest version. | Oct 8, 2025 | May 20, 2025 |
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