CVE-2025-38564

/// Technical description

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

perf/core: Handle buffer mapping fail correctly in perf_mmap()

After successful allocation of a buffer or a successful attachment to an

existing buffer perf_mmap() tries to map the buffer read only into the page

table. If that fails, the already set up page table entries are zapped, but

the other perf specific side effects of that failure are not handled. The

calling code just cleans up the VMA and does not invoke perf_mmap_close().

This leaks reference counts, corrupts user->vm accounting and also results

in an unbalanced invocation of event::event_mapped().

Cure this by moving the event::event_mapped() invocation before the

map_range() call so that on map_range() failure perf_mmap_close() can be

invoked without causing an unbalanced event::event_unmapped() call.

perf_mmap_close() undoes the reference counts and eventually frees buffers.

/// Remediation

Check the references section for vendor advisories, patches, and mitigation guidance. If immediate patching is not possible, review the CVSS vector to understand the attack surface and apply compensating controls such as network segmentation or access restrictions.

/// References