CVE-2026-97961: Linux kernel · perf/core: Allow list_del during perf_event_overflow()
Affects Linux kernelSource GCVE Database
Not known to be exploited.
Data as of 26 Oct 2026, 12:55 UTC
Rated by Threat Radar · CVSS not yet scored by NVD
- EPSS
- 0.1% chance of exploitation in 30 days – higher than 6% of CVEsExploit Prediction Scoring System: the likelihood attackers will use this flaw soon.
Exploitation evidence
Disclosed: evidence found.
CVE published 25 Sep 2026
Detectable: no evidence on record.
No public nuclei template indexed
Weaponised: no evidence on record.
No public exploit code indexed in Metasploit or Exploit-DB
Exploited in the wildExploited: no evidence on record.
Not in CISA KEV and no source reports exploitation
Observed by OffSeq MirageSeen by Mirage: no evidence on record.
No attack traffic recorded by OffSeq Mirage sensors
A missing step is not evidence of safety. Sources: cve.org (opens in a new tab), the Metasploit, Exploit-DB and nuclei-templates index as of 26 Oct 2026.
What to do
Affected software
| Product | Affected | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinuxpkg:deb/ubuntu/linux?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-awspkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-aws?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azurepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-azure-fdepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-azure-fde?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gcppkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gcp?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Ubuntu 26.04 LTSlinux-gkepkg:deb/ubuntu/linux-gke?arch=source&distro=resoluteOther threats | Affected
| Fixed in– |
Check your own hosts for these packages with threat-finder (opens in a new tab), our free open-source scanner.
AI-suggested
A fix is available that changes the list traversal method to a safe variant (for_each_list_entry_safe()) to prevent list corruption. Users should apply the official kernel updates that include this fix. Since this is a kernel-level issue, updating to a patched kernel version is the recommended remediation.
Description
A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's perf/core subsystem could lead to list corruption during perf_event_overflow() processing. This occurs because the code uses an unsafe list traversal method (for_each_list_entry) that does not handle concurrent removal of list entries, potentially corrupting the sched_cb_list. The issue arises when ioctl(fd, PERF_EVENT_IOC_REFRESH, xxx) is invoked and the event_limit reaches zero, triggering removal of list entries while they are still in use. The vulnerability has been resolved by changing the list traversal to a safe variant (for_each_list_entry_safe) to prevent corruption.
References
- ubuntu.com/security/CVE-2026-97961 (opens in a new tab)
- cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97961 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e2770c76a02452fddb52e9e05c7ed6acfef06c32 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/6d0b9ce3be221c9077653f3670d60d66bb725ee2 (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/723e85fb2c3bcd237ac02cbd69502ed62ce0068c (opens in a new tab)
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/59e63416f5153e7d58652c616fbdcb7d5e01fff7 (opens in a new tab)