Race conditions in Linux Kernel perf events

A recently disclosed vulnerability in the Linux Kernel's perf events subsystem has been identified, which appears to have existed since the introduction of auxiliary buffers in version 4.1, approximately nine years ago. The vulnerability allows for race conditions that can be exploited, although it has been confirmed that the exploit does not work on major distributions when certain configurations are enabled. The vulnerability affects the struct perf_buffer, which is used for performance measurement, and involves improper locking mechanisms that fail to prevent concurrent access to shared resources. The authors have provided a proof of concept demonstrating the exploit on kernel version 6.x, but it is believed to be applicable to older versions as well. The technical details of the vulnerability and its exploitability have been shared to raise awareness, although no CVE number has been assigned yet, as the kernel security team only issues these after a fix is available. The authors emphasize that while the vulnerability affects major distributions, they are not providing a detailed exploit blueprint to prevent misuse.

- A vulnerability in the Linux Kernel's perf events subsystem has been disclosed.

- The issue has existed since kernel version 4.1 and is related to race conditions in auxiliary buffers.

- The exploit is not effective on major distributions with specific configurations enabled.

- A proof of concept has been tested on kernel version 6.x but may apply to older versions.

- No CVE number has been assigned yet, pending a fix from the kernel security team.