[PATCH] perf/bpf: Fix data race in __perf_event_overflow

From: Deepanshu Kartikey

Date: Tue Aug 11 2026 - 19:54:04 EST


perf_event_detach_bpf_prog() writes event->prog = NULL
under bpf_event_mutex, while __perf_event_overflow() reads
event->prog concurrently without any lock protection. This
causes a data race detected by KCSAN.

__perf_event_overflow() can be called from interrupt/NMI
context, so it cannot acquire bpf_event_mutex. Fix the race
by using WRITE_ONCE() in perf_event_detach_bpf_prog() and
READ_ONCE() in __perf_event_overflow(). Also store the result
of READ_ONCE() in a local variable to avoid reading event->prog
twice which could result in a NULL pointer dereference if the
pointer becomes NULL between the two reads.

Reported-by: syzbot+651d2774bd1d8395595f@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=651d2774bd1d8395595f
Fixes: f11f10bfa1ca ("perf/bpf: Call BPF handler directly, not through overflow machinery")
Signed-off-by: Deepanshu Kartikey <kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/events/core.c | 4 +++-
kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c | 2 +-
2 files changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index ba5bd6a78fe7..9d9c5477772e 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -10753,6 +10753,7 @@ static int __perf_event_overflow(struct perf_event *event,
{
int events = atomic_read(&event->event_limit);
int ret = 0;
+ struct bpf_prog *prog;

/*
* Non-sampling counters might still use the PMI to fold short
@@ -10766,7 +10767,8 @@ static int __perf_event_overflow(struct perf_event *event,
if (event->attr.aux_pause)
perf_event_aux_pause(event->aux_event, true);

- if (event->prog && event->prog->type == BPF_PROG_TYPE_PERF_EVENT &&
+ prog = READ_ONCE(event->prog);
+ if (prog && prog->type == BPF_PROG_TYPE_PERF_EVENT &&
!bpf_overflow_handler(event, data, regs))
goto out;

diff --git a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
index 75495a5c3507..ee61dc760045 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
@@ -2018,7 +2018,7 @@ void perf_event_detach_bpf_prog(struct perf_event *event)

put:
prog = event->prog;
- event->prog = NULL;
+ WRITE_ONCE(event->prog, NULL);

unlock:
mutex_unlock(&bpf_event_mutex);
--
2.43.0