CVE-2026-98790
Received Received - Intake

Race Condition in Linux Kernel perf Subsystem

Publication date: 2026-10-18

Last updated on: 2026-10-18

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Fix race between perf_event_exit_task() and perf_pending_task() A race condition exists between perf_event_exit_task() and perf_pending_task() during begin_new_exec(). During begin_new_exec(), perf_event_exit_task() may be called, and the PF_EXITING flag is not set on task. So perf_sigtrap() continues to execute and triggers WARN_ON_ONCE(event->ctx->task != current). Since both task exit and exec paths can call perf_event_exit_task() which sets ctx->task to TASK_TOMBSTONE, fix this by explicitly checking if event->ctx->task equals TASK_TOMBSTONE and dropping the redundant PF_EXITING check.

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Meta Information

Published
2026-10-18
Last Modified
2026-10-18
Generated
2026-10-18
AI Q&A
2026-10-18
EPSS Evaluated
N/A
NVD
CVE-2026-98790
EUVD
EUVD-2026-103875

Affected Vendors & Products

Showing 5 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
Linux Linux 97ba62b278674293762c3d91f724f1bb922f04e0
Linux Linux 97ba62b278674293762c3d91f724f1bb922f04e0
Linux Linux 97ba62b278674293762c3d91f724f1bb922f04e0
Linux Linux 97ba62b278674293762c3d91f724f1bb922f04e0
Linux Linux 5.13

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Exploitability

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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN

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Executive Summary

This is a race condition in the Linux kernel's perf subsystem. It occurs between two functions, perf_event_exit_task() and perf_pending_task(), during the begin_new_exec() process. The issue arises because perf_event_exit_task() can be called without the PF_EXITING flag being set on the task, leading to a warning in perf_sigtrap() when it checks if the event context's task matches the current task.

Detection Guidance

This vulnerability is specific to the Linux kernel's perf subsystem and may not have direct network detection methods. Check kernel logs for warnings related to perf_event_exit_task() or perf_pending_task() using commands like dmesg | grep perf or journalctl -k | grep perf.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability could cause system instability or crashes due to the race condition triggering a warning or assertion failure. It may lead to unexpected behavior in performance monitoring tools or applications relying on perf events.

Mitigation Strategies

Update your Linux kernel to the latest stable version that includes the fix for this race condition. Monitor kernel logs for any related warnings after applying updates.

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