Kernel panic via truncated performance-counter overflow mask
Published Apr 17, 2024 · Updated May 11, 2026
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to panic RISC-V systems by recording branch perf events. The RISC-V SBI PMU overflow handler sets a bit in an unsigned-long counter mask with the 32-bit expression 1 << idx, truncating high counter indexes before later mask processing. The demonstrated path requires local perf access and affected RISC-V PMU hardware; on a Sophgo SG2042, the bad mask reaches riscv_pmu_ctr_get_width_mask and causes a fatal kernel exception.
Summary
What happened
NULL pointer dereference in the Linux kernel allows local users to panic RISC-V systems by recording branch perf events. The RISC-V SBI PMU overflow handler sets a bit in an unsigned-long counter mask with the 32-bit expression 1 << idx, truncating high counter indexes before later mask processing. The demonstrated path requires local perf access and affected RISC-V PMU hardware; on a Sophgo SG2042, the bad mask reaches riscv_pmu_ctr_get_width_mask and causes a fatal kernel exception.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2024-26902
- Published
- Apr 17, 2024
- Updated
- May 11, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- CWE-476, T1499.004
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Apr 17, 2024CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- May 11, 2026Record updatedLatest update available in the CVE record.
Exploitability
Present is not the same as exploitable
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Is a vulnerable build present?
Compare these published version ranges with your installed build and any vendor patches.
- Affected versionversion=4905ec2fb7e6421c14c9fb7276f5aa92f60f2b98 <34b567868777e9fd39ec5333969728a7f0cf179c
- Affected versionversion=4905ec2fb7e6421c14c9fb7276f5aa92f60f2b98 <3ede8e94de6b834b48b0643385e66363e7a04be9
- Affected versionversion=4905ec2fb7e6421c14c9fb7276f5aa92f60f2b98 <9f599ba3b9cc4bdb8ec1e3f0feddd41bf9d296d6
- Affected versionversion=5.18
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
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Weakness, pattern, technique
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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