Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf: Fix hang while freeing...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
perf: Fix hang while freeing sigtrap event
Perf can hang while freeing a sigtrap event if a related deferred
signal hadn't managed to be sent before the file got closed:
perf_event_overflow()
task_work_add(perf_pending_task)
fput()
task_work_add(____fput())
task_work_run()
____fput()
perf_release()
perf_event_release_kernel()
_free_event()
perf_pending_task_sync()
task_work_cancel() -> FAILED
rcuwait_wait_event()
Once task_work_run() is running, the list of pending callbacks is
removed from the task_struct and from this point on task_work_cancel()
can't remove any pending and not yet started work items, hence the
task_work_cancel() failure and the hang on rcuwait_wait_event().
Task work could be changed to remove one work at a time, so a work
running on the current task can always cancel a pending one, however
the wait / wake design is still subject to inverted dependencies when
remote targets are involved, as pictured by Oleg:
T1 T2
fd = perf_event_open(pid => T2->pid); fd = perf_event_open(pid => T1->pid);
close(fd) close(fd)
perf_event_overflow() perf_event_overflow()
task_work_add(perf_pending_task) task_work_add(perf_pending_task)
fput() fput()
task_work_add(____fput()) task_work_add(____fput())
task_work_run() task_work_run()
____fput() ____fput()
perf_release() perf_release()
perf_event_release_kernel() perf_event_release_kernel()
_free_event() _free_event()
perf_pending_task_sync() perf_pending_task_sync()
rcuwait_wait_event() rcuwait_wait_event()
Therefore the only option left is to acquire the event reference count
upon queueing the perf task work and release it from the task work, just
like it was done before 3a5465418f5f ("perf: Fix event leak upon exec and file release")
but without the leaks it fixed.
Some adjustments are necessary to make it work:
A child event might dereference its parent upon freeing. Care must be
taken to release the parent last.Some places assuming the event doesn't have any reference held and
therefore can be freed right away must instead put the reference and
let the reference counting to its job.
Impact
CVE-2025-37747 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2025-37747? CVE-2025-37747 is a medium-severity security vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet.
- How severe is CVE-2025-37747? CVE-2025-37747 has a CVSS score of 5.5 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2025-37747? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2025-37747 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2025-37747 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2025-37747 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2025-37747 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.