CVE-2025-22094

CVE-2025-22094 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux Linux Kernel with a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5. It is not currently listed as actively exploited by CISA, and its EPSS exploit-prediction score is low. The underlying weakness is classified as CWE-476.

Key facts

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/perf: Fix ref-counting on the PMU 'vpa_pmu' Commit 176cda0619b6 ("powerpc/perf: Add perf interface to expose vpa counters") introduced 'vpa_pmu' to expose Book3s-HV nested APIv2 provided L1<->L2 context switch latency counters to L1 user-space via perf-events. However the newly introduced PMU named 'vpa_pmu' doesn't assign ownership of the PMU to the module 'vpa_pmu'. Consequently the module 'vpa_pmu' can be unloaded while one of the perf-events are still active, which can lead to kernel oops and panic of the form below on a Pseries-LPAR: BUG: Kernel NULL pointer dereference on read at 0x00000058 <snip> NIP [c000000000506cb8] event_sched_out+0x40/0x258 LR [c00000000050e8a4] __perf_remove_from_context+0x7c/0x2b0 Call Trace: [c00000025fc3fc30] [c00000025f8457a8] 0xc00000025f8457a8 (unreliable) [c00000025fc3fc80] [fffffffffffffee0] 0xfffffffffffffee0 [c00000025fc3fcd0] [c000000000501e70] event_function+0xa8/0x120 <snip> Kernel panic - not syncing: Aiee, killing interrupt handler! Fix this by adding the module ownership to 'vpa_pmu' so that the module 'vpa_pmu' is ref-counted and prevented from being unloaded when perf-events are initialized.

Frequently asked questions

What is CVE-2025-22094?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/perf: Fix ref-counting on the PMU 'vpa_pmu' Commit 176cda0619b6 ("powerpc/perf: Add perf interface to expose vpa counters") introduced 'vpa_pmu' to expose Book3s-HV nested APIv2 provided L1<->L2 context switch latency counters to L1 user-space via perf-events. However the newly introduced PMU named 'vpa_pmu' doesn't assign ownership of the PMU to the module 'vpa_pmu'. Consequently the module 'vpa_pmu' can be unloaded while one of the perf-events are still active, which can lead to kernel oops and panic of the form below on a Pseries-LPAR: BUG: Kernel NULL pointer dereference on read at 0x00000058 <snip> NIP [c000000000506cb8] event_sched_out+0x40/0x258 LR [c00000000050e8a4] __perf_remove_from_context+0x7c/0x2b0 Call Trace: [c00000025fc3fc30] [c00000025f8457a8] 0xc00000025f8457a8 (unreliable) [c00000025fc3fc80] [fffffffffffffee0] 0xfffffffffffffee0 [c00000025fc3fcd0] [c000000000501e70] event_function+0xa8/0x120 <snip> Kernel panic - not syncing: Aiee, killing interrupt handler! Fix this by adding the module ownership to 'vpa_pmu' so that the module 'vpa_pmu' is ref-counted and prevented from being unloaded when perf-events are initialized.
How severe is CVE-2025-22094?
CVE-2025-22094 has a CVSS 3.x base score of 5.5, rated medium severity. It is exploitable over local access with low attack complexity, requires low privileges and no user interaction. Impact on confidentiality is none, integrity none, and availability high.
Is CVE-2025-22094 being actively exploited?
It is not currently listed in CISA's KEV catalog. Its EPSS exploit-prediction score is 0% (7th percentile), an estimate of the probability of exploitation in the next 30 days.
What products are affected by CVE-2025-22094?
CVE-2025-22094 affects Linux Linux Kernel. See the affected-products list for the exact vulnerable versions.
How do I fix CVE-2025-22094?
Review the linked vendor and NVD advisories for patched versions and mitigations, then upgrade or apply the recommended workaround.
Does CVE-2025-22094 have an EU (EUVD) identifier?
Yes. CVE-2025-22094 is tracked in the ENISA EU Vulnerability Database (EUVD) as EUVD-2025-11209.
When was CVE-2025-22094 published?
CVE-2025-22094 was published on 2025-04-16 and last updated on 2026-06-17.

References

Affected products (1)

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