Bug 2555077 (CVE-2026-98655)

Summary:	CVE-2026-98655 kernel: perf: Require kernel access for text poke events
Product:	[Other] Security Response	Reporter:	OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component:	vulnerability	Assignee:	Product Security DevOps Team <prodsec-dev>
Status:	NEW ---	QA Contact:
Severity:	low	Docs Contact:
Priority:	low
Version:	unspecified	CC:	akhatavk, aos-team-art-private, asdas, dpaolell, jdelft, jupierce, lgarciaa, mbiarnes, ppalepu, ppostler, prdhamdh, rhel-process-autobot, sghai, sidsharm, suppawar, vlaad, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone:	---	Keywords:	Security
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	All
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	---
Doc Text:	A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. An unprivileged local user could exploit this vulnerability to cause an information disclosure, bypassing Kernel Address Space Layout Randomization (KASLR), a security feature that randomizes kernel memory addresses to hinder exploitation. By opening performance monitoring events configured to track kernel code modifications without requiring elevated permissions, an unprivileged user can observe raw kernel instruction addresses. This leaked address information can assist attackers in planning further attacks against the system.	Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:		Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:

Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-10-18 15:53:06 UTC

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

perf: Require kernel access for text poke events

Perf events with exclude_kernel=1 can be opened without kernel perf
access. However, exclude_kernel does not suppress text-poke sideband
records. Every PERF_RECORD_TEXT_POKE is marked PERF_RECORD_MISC_KERNEL
and contains a raw kernel instruction address.

An unprivileged task can therefore open and mmap a task-local software
event with text_poke=1. Both opening a count-only tracepoint event and
configuring UDP GRO for ESP-in-UDP cause updates to inline static calls;
the observer receives the relocated addresses of the modified instructions.
For a known kernel image, any such address reveals the runtime kernel
text base despite KASLR.

Call perf_allow_kernel() whenever attr.text_poke is set, regardless of
exclude_kernel. Events that neither monitor kernel execution nor request
text-poke records retain their existing permissions.

Comment 1 Mauro Matteo Cascella 2026-10-21 20:48:56 UTC

Upstream advisory:
https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/security/vulns.git/plain/cve/published/2026/CVE-2026-98655.mbox