Kernel-address disclosure via unchecked text-poke event requests
Published Oct 18, 2026 · Updated Oct 18, 2026
Information disclosure in Linux perf allows local users to bypass KASLR through kernel addresses exposed in text-poke records. In kernel/events/core.c, perf_event_open skips the kernel-access permission check when exclude_kernel=1 even when text_poke=1 requests records containing raw kernel instruction addresses. Exploitation requires permission to open and mmap a task-local perf event; a known kernel image lets the disclosed addresses reveal the runtime kernel text base, without establishing code execution.
Summary
What happened
Information disclosure in Linux perf allows local users to bypass KASLR through kernel addresses exposed in text-poke records. In kernel/events/core.c, perf_event_open skips the kernel-access permission check when exclude_kernel=1 even when text_poke=1 requests records containing raw kernel instruction addresses. Exploitation requires permission to open and mmap a task-local perf event; a known kernel image lets the disclosed addresses reveal the runtime kernel text base, without establishing code execution.
The record
- CVE
- CVE-2026-98655
- Published
- Oct 18, 2026
- Updated
- Oct 18, 2026
- Vendor
- The Linux Kernel Organization
- Product
- Linux
- Classifications
- Unavailable
- Attack vector
- local
- Privileges
- authenticated
Timeline
How it unfolded
- Oct 18, 2026CVE publishedPublication date reported by the CVE source.
- Oct 18, 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?
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- Affected versionversion=5.9
- Affected versionversion=e17d43b93e544f5016c0251d2074c15568d5d963 <357e8a77a501d96c9517f01f4a211eed5e9c9184
- Affected versionversion=e17d43b93e544f5016c0251d2074c15568d5d963 <677d0b51ac1a0db55d768c4c6399210b3de0795b
- Affected versionversion=e17d43b93e544f5016c0251d2074c15568d5d963 <8473f44db9f710ea6f8cafb22f2e3ba6cb8ca9a7
- Affected versionversion=e17d43b93e544f5016c0251d2074c15568d5d963 <e506333d1b9f42f1e402acebf1283af3c44a3809
What conditions does exploitation require?
What is affected?
Published CVSS scores
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Attacks
What attackers are doing with it
Daily unique IPs observed by Shadowserver honeypots for known exploited vulnerabilities (KEVs). Missing observations do not establish an absence of attacks.
Activity data is delayed. The latest report is Sep 28, 2026.
Weakness, pattern, technique
No sourced classifications are available.
Public exploit references
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Technologies
Your stack
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Your stack
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