CVE Intelligence
Unknown

CVE-2026-89460 — s390/cpum_cf: Handle CPU hotplug via prepare/dead callbacks

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/cpum_cf: Handle CPU hotplug via prepare/dead callbacks The command 'perf stat -e cycles -- <command>' crashes the kernel when CPUs are hotplug added during that run. Root cause is the allocation of struct cpu_cf_events at first event initialization. The allocation is dynamic and the first event that has task context creates such a structure for each online CPU. This is not sufficient. CPUs may be offline during event creation and can be set online during the perf run time. For example commands # echo 0 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu1/online # perf stat -e cycles -i -- stress-ng -t10s --matrix X # sleep 1 # echo 1 > /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu1/online create an event for CPUs 0,2-X. Since the events are created with task-context, the scheduler will eventually schedule the program on CPU1. This CPU has not created and initialized any per CPU event infrastructure as that CPU was not online at the time of the perf invocation. Thus when the scheduler runs stress-ng on CPU1, the function cpumf_pmu_add() refers to a NULL pointer: struct cpu_cf_events *cpuhw = this_cpu_cfhw(); This function call is invoked after the task stress-ng has been made runnable on CPU1. And this_cpu_cfhw() returns NULL. The result is a panic: Unable to handle kernel pointer dereference in virtual kernel address space Failing address: 0000000000000000 TEID: 0000000000000483 .... Krnl PSW : 0404d00180000000 000003ef8291fd0c (cpumf_pmu_add+0x3c/0x80) .... Call Trace: [<000003ef8291fd0c>] cpumf_pmu_add+0x3c/0x80 [<000003ef82bb5e3e>] event_sched_in+0xae/0x190 [<000003ef82bb60d6>] merge_sched_in+0x1b6/0x390 [<000003ef82bb65b8>] visit_groups_merge.constprop.0.isra.0+0x308/0x5b0 [<000003ef82bb689a>] pmu_groups_sched_in+0x3a/0x50 [<000003ef82bb6a30>] ctx_sched_in+0x180/0x260 [<000003ef82bb780c>] perf_event_context_sched_in+0x11c/0x2d0 [<000003ef82bb79ee>] __perf_event_task_sched_in+0x2e/0xc0 [<000003ef82994834>] finish_task_switch.isra.0+0x1a4/0x250 .... Last Breaking-Event-Address: [<000003ef8291f1d8>] this_cpu_cfhw+0x38/0x40 The issue arises only in per-task context when the CPUMF facility is used and the scheduler picks a random CPU for such a process to run on. The scheduler enables the CPUMF infrastructure via PMU callback functions pmu::add() and pmu::del(). Introduce a CPU hotplug prepare/dead callback pair which creates and removes the per CPU counter data while the CPU is offline. Count the users which track every CPU (cpu == -1), that is perf_event_open() events with task context and /dev/hwctr device sessions, in the new counter cpu_cf_root::tskcnt, protected by pmc_reserve_mutex. This ensures the infrastructure is available when new CPU is selected to run the per-task context process. In cpum_cf_free_root() and cpum_cf_free_cpu() ensure the reference pointer to data structures is set to NULL before the data is freed to prevent interrupt handlers to access stale data. [gor@linux.ibm.com: change commit message]

Published Sep 11, 2026 · Updated Oct 19, 2026 · Sources: NIST National Vulnerability Database, CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP, GitHub Security Advisories · CNA: Linux

Who exploits it and how urgent it is

A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.

No exploitation signal in the sources consulted so far.
How the score was calculated
  • EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1

The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).

Triage

Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.

Exploitation
Not confirmed
Not in CISA KEV — an absence of record, not proof it is unexploited.
EPSS FIRST
0.17%
ahead of 6% of scored CVEs · Oct 22, 2026
Affects
Linux
Linux
CVSS base
—
Score not published yet.

Remediation

Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.

No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.

First 24 hours

Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.

  1. Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
  2. No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
  3. Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.

Affected scope

Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.

VendorProductVersionsStatusSource
Linux Linux ≥ 9b9cf3c77e7e090b30657b3d2c288deb58dfb4f2 and < 991be92489bc7b1b6e7903debb96bd58c892dee4≥ 9b9cf3c77e7e090b30657b3d2c288deb58dfb4f2 and < 777d040c2f91d8d929b4a32333dfe4102b27caea≥ 9b9cf3c77e7e090b30657b3d2c288deb58dfb4f2 and < dcce7a06ea690d5cf46a705a9b74cf0398ac091f≥ 9b9cf3c77e7e090b30657b3d2c288deb58dfb4f2 and < 71d46de9153e067c63a15f3b00e6364e1c0230f8≥ 9b9cf3c77e7e090b30657b3d2c288deb58dfb4f2 and < 337bd95507a16063687cfc286ea90de5cca48c37version 6.5 Vulnerable CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP

EPSS over time FIRST

Oct 15, 2026 → Oct 22, 2026 · 7 reading(s) · max 0.17%

Detection

Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.

  • Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
application logs

Timeline

What happened to this CVE, newest first.

  • 2026
  • Record published
    Oct 15, 2026
  • Affected products added · linux/linux
    Oct 15, 2026 · CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP
  • Source status changed · → Received
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • Record created in this database
    Oct 15, 2026 · NIST National Vulnerability Database
  • CVE published
    Sep 11, 2026 · Linux

Source activity

Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.

  • 1× References added · Oct 19, 2026 – Oct 19, 2026
  • 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026

References

7 on the record

Elsewhere on this site

Linux
every CVE for this vendor

Related CVEs (same products)

  • CVE-2026-99087 dm-integrity: fix NULL pointer dereference when the 'R' flag is used 13h
  • CVE-2026-99086 dm-integrity: validate the superblock on resume 13h
  • CVE-2026-99084 readdir: take no inode lock on an immutable directory 13h
  • CVE-2026-99079 net/mlx5e: Prevent stale XSK buffer release on refill retry 13h
  • CVE-2026-99080 fs: Free any excess xarray nodes in clear_inode() 13h
  • CVE-2026-99081 bnxt_en: fix DMA mapping length for padded small packets 13h

Not in any source we poll

Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.

  • No CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
  • No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
  • No CISA SSVC assessment.
  • No CWE classification.
  • No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
  • No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
  • No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.

Answered from this record

Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.

What should defenders know first?

CVE-2026-89460 is "s390/cpum_cf: Handle CPU hotplug via prepare/dead callbacks", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.17% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.

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