🛡️ CVE-2025-38055 — kernel

🟡 CVSS 5.5 — Medium ✅ No Known Exploit NVD
5.5
CVSS Score
0 Low4 Medium7 High9 Critical10

Description

perf/x86/intel: Fix segfault with PEBS-via-PT with sample_freq

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

perf/x86/intel: Fix segfault with PEBS-via-PT with sample_freq

Currently, using PEBS-via-PT with a sample frequency instead of a sample

period, causes a segfault. For example:

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000195

<NMI>

? __die_body.cold+0x19/0x27

? page_fault_oops+0xca/0x290

? exc_page_fault+0x7e/0x1b0

? asm_exc_page_fault+0x26/0x30

? intel_pmu_pebs_event_update_no_drain+0x40/0x60

? intel_pmu_pebs_event_update_no_drain+0x32/0x60

intel_pmu_drain_pebs_icl+0x333/0x350

handle_pmi_common+0x272/0x3c0

intel_pmu_handle_irq+0x10a/0x2e0

perf_event_nmi_handler+0x2a/0x50

That happens because intel_pmu_pebs_event_update_no_drain() assumes all the

pebs_enabled bits represent counter indexes, which is not always the case.

In this particular case, bits 60 and 61 are set for PEBS-via-PT purposes.

The behaviour of PEBS-via-PT with sample frequency is questionable because

although a PMI is generated (PEBS_PMI_AFTER_EACH_RECORD), the period is not

adjusted anyway.

Putting that aside, fix intel_pmu_pebs_event_update_no_drain() by passing

the mask of counter bits instead of 'size'. Note, prior to the Fixes

commit, 'size' would be limited to the maximum counter index, so the issue

was not hit.

How this vulnerability can be exploited

This issue can be reached with local access to the system, attack complexity is low, an attacker needs low-level privileges on the target. No user interaction is required. The scope is unchanged, so the impact stays within the vulnerable component. Rated impact: confidentiality none, integrity none, availability high.

Affected software

CVE-2025-38055 is recorded against 2 packages.

  • kernel (from 6.13.0 up to 6.14.9)
  • linux-kernel

Timeline and source

Published on 18 June 2025 and last revised on 15 July 2026. No public exploit is currently recorded for this entry. A vendor advisory or fix has been published. Record sourced from NVD.

References

git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
git.kernel.org (Web)
github.com (Advisory)
nvd.nist.gov (Advisory)
git.kernel.org (Package)

CVE-2025-38055 on other distributions

Each distribution ships its own build and its own fixed version. Pick the one you run:

Details

Severity Medium
CVSS Score 5.5
CVSS Vector CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CWE N/A
Public Exploit ✅ No
Source NVD
Published 2025-06-18
Updated 2026-08-12
Modified 2026-07-15

Affected Packages

Software From version Fixed in
kernel 6.13.0 6.14.9
linux-kernel — —

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