CVE-2025-37936: perf/x86/intel: KVM: Mask PEBS_ENABLE loaded for guest with vCPU's value.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
perf/x86/intel: KVM: Mask PEBS_ENABLE loaded for guest with vCPU's value.
When generating the MSR_IA32_PEBS_ENABLE value that will be loaded on
VM-Entry to a KVM guest, mask the value with the vCPU's desired PEBS_ENABLE
value. Consulting only the host kernel's host vs. guest masks results in
running the guest with PEBS enabled even when the guest doesn't want to use
PEBS. Because KVM uses perf events to proxy the guest virtual PMU, simply
looking at exclude_host can't differentiate between events created by host
userspace, and events created by KVM on behalf of the guest.
Running the guest with PEBS unexpectedly enabled typically manifests as
crashes due to a near-infinite stream of #PFs. E.g. if the guest hasn't
written MSR_IA32_DS_AREA, the CPU will hit page faults on address '0' when
trying to record PEBS events.
The issue is most easily reproduced by running `perf kvm top` from before
commit 7b100989b4f6 ("perf evlist: Remove __evlist__add_default") (after
which, `perf kvm top` effectively stopped using PEBS). The userspace side
of perf creates a guest-only PEBS event, which intel_guest_get_msrs()
misconstrues a guest-*owned* PEBS event.
Arguably, this is a userspace bug, as enabling PEBS on guest-only events
simply cannot work, and userspace can kill VMs in many other ways (there
is no danger to the host). However, even if this is considered to be bad
userspace behavior, there's zero downside to perf/KVM restricting PEBS to
guest-owned events.
Note, commit 854250329c02 ("KVM: x86/pmu: Disable guest PEBS temporarily
in two rare situations") fixed the case where host userspace is profiling
KVM *and* userspace, but missed the case where userspace is profiling only
KVM.
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A Linux KVM flaw can unintentionally enable Intel processor performance tracing inside a virtual machine. Under specific host-side monitoring conditions, this may trigger an overwhelming stream of guest page faults and crash the VM. The kernel description says the host itself is not endangered, making this primarily a targeted virtual-machine availability risk.
Executive priority
Prioritize expedited remediation on Intel KVM clusters where local users or monitoring services can access performance events. This is not supported as an internet-scale emergency or host-escape issue, but repeated guest crashes could disrupt critical workloads. Validate exposure before accelerating unrelated Linux systems.
Technical view
KVM generated IA32_PEBS_ENABLE for VM entry from host-versus-guest perf masks without also applying the vCPU’s requested PEBS value. A guest that did not configure IA32_DS_AREA could consequently receive repeated page faults at address zero when PEBS recorded events. The correction restricts PEBS to events owned by the guest.
Likely exposure
Exposure is limited to affected Linux kernels running KVM on Intel systems where PEBS and virtual PMU performance monitoring are relevant. The documented trigger involves host userspace profiling KVM with guest-only PEBS events. The CVSS vector indicates local, low-privilege access, but practical reach depends on host performance-monitoring permissions and configuration.
Exploitation context
The supplied record is not in CISA KEV, and the sources provide no evidence of active exploitation. They document a reproducible VM-crash condition involving performance monitoring. The stated impact is guest instability rather than host compromise; broader confidentiality or integrity consequences are not demonstrated in the supplied technical description.
Researcher notes
The key ownership error was treating a guest-only event created by host userspace as guest-owned. An earlier mitigation covered simultaneous KVM and userspace profiling but missed KVM-only profiling. The supplied affected-version representation is incomplete for precise package decisions, so branch and distribution status should be confirmed through vendor guidance.
Mitigation direction
Upgrade affected systems to a vendor-supported kernel containing the referenced PEBS_ENABLE correction.
Match each kernel branch to the appropriate vendor advisory or referenced stable commit before deployment.
Until updated, restrict host performance-monitoring access to trusted administrators.
Avoid guest-only PEBS monitoring on affected KVM hosts where operationally feasible.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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CVSS vector scores
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