CVE-2026-23159: perf: sched: Fix perf crash with new is_user_task() helper
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
perf: sched: Fix perf crash with new isusertask() helper
In order to do a user space stacktrace the current task needs to be a user task that has executed in user space. It use to be possible to test if a task is a user task or not by simply checking the taskstruct mm field. If it was non NULL, it was a user task and if not it was a kernel task.
But things have changed over time, and some kernel tasks now have their own mm field.
An idea was made to instead test PFKTHREAD and two functions were used to wrap this check in case it became more complex to test if a task was a user task or not[1]. But this was rejected and the C code simply checked the PFKTHREAD directly.
It was later found that not all kernel threads set PFKTHREAD. The io-uring helpers instead set PFUSERWORKER and this needed to be added as well.
But checking the flags is still not enough. There's a very small window when a task exits that it frees its mm field and it is set back to NULL. If perf were to trigger at this moment, the flags test would say its a user space task but when perf would read the mm field it would crash with at NULL pointer dereference.
Now there are flags that can be used to test if a task is exiting, but they are set in areas that perf may still want to profile the user space task (to see where it exited). The only real test is to check both the flags and the mm field.
Instead of making this modification in every location, create a new isusertask() helper function that does all the tests needed to know if it is safe to read the user space memory or not.
[1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/20250425204120.639530125@goodmis.org/
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2026-23159?
CVE-2026-23159 has a medium severity rating due to its potential to cause a crash in the perf subsystem of the Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2026-23159?
To fix CVE-2026-23159, update your Linux kernel to the latest version where the vulnerability has been patched.
What are the potential impacts of CVE-2026-23159?
CVE-2026-23159 could lead to application crashes when using performance tracing tools in user space.
Which versions of the Linux kernel are affected by CVE-2026-23159?
CVE-2026-23159 affects versions of the Linux kernel prior to the patch addressing this specific issue.
Is there a workaround for CVE-2026-23159 before applying a patch?
There is no specific workaround for CVE-2026-23159; the best course of action is to apply the recommended kernel update.