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CVE-2026-97961
perf/core: Allow list_del during perf_event_overflow()
Published 2026-09-25 (24 days ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem kernel/events. Debian urgency: unimportant.
What to do, per Debian release
Debian's own status for CVE-2026-97961 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source
| Release | Status | Version | What this means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 12bookworm | not affected | 6.1.190-1 | Nothing to do. bookworm never shipped the vulnerable code. |
| Debian 13trixie | fixedDSA-6528-1 · 2026-09-29 · text | 6.12.111-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. DSA-6528-1 shipped the fix on 2026-09-29, in 6.12.111-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian 14forky | fixed | 7.2.7-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.7-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian unstablesid | fixed | 7.2.7-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.7-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian 12bookworm · linux-6.12 | fixedDLA-4817-1 · 2026-10-04 · text | 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 | Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4817-1 shipped the fix on 2026-10-04, in 6.12.111-1~deb12u1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
The vulnerability
What the bug is
A PMU might use perf_sched_cb_inc() and perf_sched_cb_dec() interface to get the PMU call back function pmu::sched_task invoked at schedule in and schedule out. This is achieved by walking along the list anchored by sched_cb_list. The following scenario might lead to a list corruption. perf_pmu_sched_task() for_each_list_entry(..., &sched_cb_list) +--> __perf_pmu_sched_task() +--> event->pmu->sched_task()) +--> PMU_push_sample() +--> perf_event_overflow() +--> __perf_event_overflow() +--> pmu->stop() +--> perf_sched_cb_dec() remove entry from sched_cb_list while list node in use. This happens when ioctl(fd, PERF_EVENT_IOC_REFRESH, xxx) has been invoked and perf_event::event_limit hits zero. Prevent the list corruption and convert for_each_list_entry() to for_each_list_entry_safe().
Where it lives
The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.
kernel/events/core.c
- What this is
- PERFORMANCE EVENTS SUBSYSTEMMAINTAINERS section matched on kernel/events/* · linux-perf-users@vger.kernel.org · Supported
Check it on the machine
grep -w CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS /boot/config-$(uname -r)Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.
Show whether Debian builds this, per release
Debian builds this code. Every release below compiles the affected file into the kernels it ships.
- bookworm, trixie, forky, sid, bookworm · linux-6.12y
- y
- built into the kernel image on every flavour - only a patch removes it
- Build switch
- CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS
From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages
Signals
- Published
- 2026-09-25 (24 days ago)source
- CVSS
- no vector published, unrated
- Attack vector
- not published
- EPSS
- 0.17%, higher than 5.6% of all CVEssource
- CISA KEV
- not listedthe KEV catalogue
- Debian urgency
- unimportantsource
- Subsystem
- kernel/events
Upstream fixes
The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source
| Introduced | Fixed in | Commit |
|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 6.12.111 | 723e85fb2c3b |
| 6.2 | 6.18.53 | 6d0b9ce3be22 |
| 6.2 | 7.2.7 | e2770c76a024 |
| 6.2 | 7.3 | 59e63416f515 |
Debian advisories
| Advisory | Date | Shipped to | Debian |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLA-4817-1 | 2026-10-04 | bookworm 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 | tracker |
| DSA-6528-1 | 2026-09-29 | trixie 6.12.111-1 | tracker |
Why the CNA scored it this way
The kernel CNA published no CVSS vector and no reasoning for CVE-2026-97961, which is why it is shown as unrated rather than given an invented score. 6,405 of the 20,413 CVEs here carry reasoning; this is not one of them.