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-libbpf-staticUpgrade python3-perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-modules-extraUpgrade python3-perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade perf6.12Upgrade kernelUpgrade kernel-headersUpgrade kernel-libbpf-develUpgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade kernel-libbpfUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade kernel-livepatch-6.12.29-33.102Upgrade perf6.12-debuginfoUpgrade kernel6.12Upgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade bpftoolUpgrade python3-perfUpgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade perfUpgrade python3-perf6.12Upgrade kernel-modules-extra-commonUpgrade kernel-libbpf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-modules-extraUpgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade kernel-livepatch-6.1.140-154.222 | 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 reiserfs-kmp-defaultUpgrade gfs2-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-rt-develUpgrade kernel-64kb-develUpgrade kselftests-kmp-64kbUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-default-base-rebuildUpgrade dtb-exynosUpgrade dtb-hisiliconUpgrade dtb-armUpgrade dtb-mediatekUpgrade dtb-xilinxUpgrade kernel-source-vanillaUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-azureUpgrade dtb-qcomUpgrade kernel-symsUpgrade kernel-azure-optionalUpgrade dtb-alteraUpgrade kernel-64kb-extraUpgrade kernel-rtUpgrade kernel-source-azureUpgrade kernel-devel-rtUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-kvmsmall-develUpgrade dlm-kmp-64kbUpgrade gfs2-kmp-azureUpgrade dtb-sprdUpgrade dtb-lgUpgrade kernel-rt_debug-develUpgrade dtb-caviumUpgrade kernel-default-optionalUpgrade kernel-debugUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-64kbUpgrade dtb-rockchipUpgrade gfs2-kmp-64kbUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-rtUpgrade kernel-syms-azureUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-sourceUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-azureUpgrade dtb-nvidiaUpgrade kernel-default-vdsoUpgrade kernel-devel-azureUpgrade dtb-allwinnerUpgrade kernel-obs-buildUpgrade kselftests-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-rt-extraUpgrade kernel-docs-htmlUpgrade dtb-broadcomUpgrade kernel-rt_debugUpgrade kernel-defaultUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-defaultUpgrade gfs2-kmp-rtUpgrade dtb-renesasUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-64kbUpgrade dtb-amdUpgrade dlm-kmp-azureUpgrade dtb-marvellUpgrade dtb-amazonUpgrade dlm-kmp-rtUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-rtUpgrade kernel-default-livepatchUpgrade kernel-syms-rtUpgrade kernel-rt-livepatch-develUpgrade dtb-apmUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-rtUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-64kbUpgrade kernel-rt-vdsoUpgrade kernel-default-livepatch-develUpgrade kernel-debug-vdsoUpgrade kselftests-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-azure-develUpgrade kernel-source-rtUpgrade kernel-default-develUpgrade kselftests-kmp-rtUpgrade dtb-socionextUpgrade dtb-freescaleUpgrade kernel-obs-qaUpgrade kernel-macrosUpgrade dlm-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-default-extraUpgrade kernel-debug-develUpgrade kernel-docsUpgrade dtb-appleUpgrade kernel-azure-extraUpgrade kernel-64kb-optionalUpgrade dtb-amlogicUpgrade kernel-zfcpdumpUpgrade kernel-rt_debug-vdsoUpgrade kernel-kvmsmallUpgrade kernel-kvmsmall-vdsoUpgrade kernel-default-baseUpgrade kernel-azureUpgrade kernel-rt-optionalUpgrade kernel-azure-vdsoUpgrade kernel-64kb | Dec 5, 2025 | Jul 8, 2025 |
| Ubuntu | — | Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-oem-22.04dUpgrade linux-image-virtualUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-intel-iotgUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-gcpUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-aws-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-fipsUpgrade linux-image-gcp-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-generic-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-gkeUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-raspiUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-generic-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-2037-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1011-gcpUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-realtime-6.14Upgrade linux-image-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcpUpgrade linux-image-awsUpgrade linux-image-aws-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-raspi-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1007-oemUpgrade linux-image-azure-6.8Upgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64k-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-virtual-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-kvmUpgrade linux-image-azure-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcp-6.8Upgrade linux-image-realtime-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-xilinxUpgrade linux-image-xilinx-zynqmpUpgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1030-gkeopUpgrade linux-image-oem-24.04cUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oem-24.04Upgrade linux-image-oem-6.14Upgrade linux-image-intel-iot-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-aws-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-oem-24.04aUpgrade linux-image-oracleUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1010-azureUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-aws-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-azure-fipsUpgrade linux-image-raspiUpgrade linux-image-aws-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1011-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-virtual-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1051-azureUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1006-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-oracleUpgrade linux-image-virtual-6.8Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-azure-fipsUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-24-genericUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-nvidia-lowlatency-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-aws-fipsUpgrade linux-image-gcp-fips-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1023-xilinxUpgrade linux-image-generic-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oem-22.04bUpgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-lowlatency-6.8Upgrade linux-image-raspi-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidia-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-ibmUpgrade linux-image-generic-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-gkeUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-gcp-fipsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-genericUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-awsUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-oracleUpgrade linux-image-raspi-6.14Upgrade linux-image-realtime-hwe-24.04Upgrade linux-image-oem-22.04Upgrade linux-image-nvidiaUpgrade linux-image-ibm-classicUpgrade linux-image-lowlatency-64kUpgrade linux-image-gkeopUpgrade linux-image-oracle-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-24-generic-64kUpgrade linux-image-generic-lpaeUpgrade linux-image-oem-22.04cUpgrade linux-image-raspi-realtime-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oracle-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-awsUpgrade linux-image-azure-6.14Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-100-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-gcp-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-nvidia-lowlatencyUpgrade linux-image-gke-6.8Upgrade linux-image-generic-hwe-22.04Upgrade linux-image-ibm-6.8Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-6.8Upgrade linux-image-gcp-6.14Upgrade linux-image-aws-6.14Upgrade linux-image-6.8.1-1041-realtimeUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-oracle-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1043-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.14.0-1009-aws-64kUpgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1046-azureUpgrade linux-image-realtime-6.8.1Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1047-raspiUpgrade linux-image-aws-fipsUpgrade linux-image-gkeop-6.8Upgrade linux-image-6.8.0-1044-ibmUpgrade linux-image-oem-22.04aUpgrade linux-image-generic-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oracle-64k-6.14Upgrade linux-image-oracle-6.14Upgrade linux-image-gke-64k-6.8Upgrade linux-image-virtual-6.14Upgrade linux-image-nvidia-64kUpgrade linux-image-gke-64kUpgrade linux-image-azure-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-aws-6.8Upgrade linux-image-azureUpgrade linux-image-gcp-64kUpgrade linux-image-ibm-lts-24.04Upgrade linux-image-generic-6.14Upgrade linux-image-gcp-fipsUpgrade linux-image-genericUpgrade linux-image-xilinx-6.8Upgrade linux-image-oracle-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 |
Prioritise with Active Threat Intelligence
With curated Threat Intelligence, you can see which vulnerabilities truly put you at risk, prioritize what matters most, and act before attackers do.
Explore Intelligence Hub