[PATCH v2] perf/core: Prevent duplicate sigtrap task work enqueue

From: Tengda Wu

Date: Sun Nov 01 2026 - 21:16:15 EST


The sigtrap handling in __perf_event_overflow() checks
event->pending_work before calling task_work_add(), but only sets
pending_work after the task work has been queued.

This leaves a window where an NMI can interrupt task_work_add()
and re-enter __perf_event_overflow() for the same event. Since
pending_work is still zero, the nested invocation can enqueue
the same pending_task again.

The re-entrant call path is:

__perf_event_overflow()
task_work_add()
kasan_record_aux_stack()
<NMI>
__perf_event_overflow()
task_work_add()

The nested invocation can enqueue pending_task before the
outer invocation does. When the outer invocation resumes, it
inserts the same task_work entry again, potentially creating
a cycle in the task work list.

This causes perf_pending_task() to be executed repeatedly
and leads to unbalanced event reference counting.

Use cmpxchg() to atomically claim pending_work before calling
task_work_add(). This ensures that only one invocation can
enqueue the pending_task, even when interrupted by an NMI.

If task_work_add() fails, clear the pending_work claim so that
a subsequent overflow can retry.

Also use READ_ONCE() when checking pending_work in the
exclude_kernel warning path to avoid an unsynchronized read.

Fixes: c5d93d23a260 ("perf: Enqueue SIGTRAP always via task_work.")
Signed-off-by: Tengda Wu <wutengda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
v2: Drop the redundant event->pending_work assignment. (Sashiko)
v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20261031114520.642476-1-wutengda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/

kernel/events/core.c | 23 ++++++++++++-----------
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/events/core.c b/kernel/events/core.c
index 457d75ea7142..ee5c59158b89 100644
--- a/kernel/events/core.c
+++ b/kernel/events/core.c
@@ -10925,16 +10925,17 @@ static int __perf_event_overflow(struct perf_event *event,

notify_mode = in_nmi() ? TWA_NMI_CURRENT : TWA_RESUME;

- if (!event->pending_work &&
- !task_work_add(current, &event->pending_task, notify_mode)) {
- event->pending_work = pending_id;
- local_inc(&event->ctx->nr_no_switch_fast);
- WARN_ON_ONCE(!atomic_long_inc_not_zero(&event->refcount));
-
- event->pending_addr = 0;
- if (valid_sample && (data->sample_flags & PERF_SAMPLE_ADDR))
- event->pending_addr = data->addr;
-
+ if (cmpxchg(&event->pending_work, 0, pending_id) == 0) {
+ if (!task_work_add(current, &event->pending_task, notify_mode)) {
+ local_inc(&event->ctx->nr_no_switch_fast);
+ WARN_ON_ONCE(!atomic_long_inc_not_zero(&event->refcount));
+
+ event->pending_addr = 0;
+ if (valid_sample && (data->sample_flags & PERF_SAMPLE_ADDR))
+ event->pending_addr = data->addr;
+ } else {
+ cmpxchg(&event->pending_work, pending_id, 0);
+ }
} else if (event->attr.exclude_kernel && valid_sample) {
/*
* Should not be able to return to user space without
@@ -10948,7 +10949,7 @@ static int __perf_event_overflow(struct perf_event *event,
* To approximate progress (with false negatives),
* check 32-bit hash of the current IP.
*/
- WARN_ON_ONCE(event->pending_work != pending_id);
+ WARN_ON_ONCE(READ_ONCE(event->pending_work) != pending_id);
}
}

--
2.34.1