CVE-2026-93181: perf/x86/intel/uncore: Fix uncore_box ref/unref ordering

Severity: unknown
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2026-09-17 · updated 2026-10-21

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf/x86/intel/uncore: Fix uncore_box ref/unref ordering In uncore_event_cpu_online(), uncore_box_ref() was called before uncore_change_context(). uncore_box_ref() gates on box->cpu >= 0, but box->cpu is still -1 at that point because uncore_change_context() has not run yet. As a result, the box is never initialized on the first CPU to come online in a die, leaving it permanently uninitialized in the single-CPU-per-die case. Thus, box->refcnt is one count below the true value, and in the CPU offline path, the box will be torn down on the second-to-last CPU. In uncore_event_cpu_offline(), uncore_box_unref() was called after uncore_change_context(), so box->cpu is already -1 when the collector CPU goes offline, which prevents it from tearing down the box. Fix by swapping the call order in both paths so that uncore_box_{ref,unref}() runs at the point where box->cpu reflects the correct context. Move allocate_boxes() out of uncore_box_ref() to enable this reordering.

Affected products

Linux kernel: 6.11 — fixed in 7.3

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 7.3. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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