CVE-2026-98655

Description

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.

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EPSS — Exploit Prediction

0.0019

Probability of exploitation

0.09%

Percentile rank

EPSS estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the wild within the next 30 days. A higher score means more likely to be exploited.

References

Other References

https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/357e8a77a501d96c9517f01f4a211eed5e9c9184 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/677d0b51ac1a0db55d768c4c6399210b3de0795b https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8473f44db9f710ea6f8cafb22f2e3ba6cb8ca9a7 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c38cb055f6a9651198780e4e4d5283de4039f79 https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e506333d1b9f42f1e402acebf1283af3c44a3809

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-98655? +

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.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2026-98655? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.