CVE-2025-68370 in Linux
Summary
by MITRE • 12/24/2025
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
coresight: tmc: add the handle of the event to the path
The handle is essential for retrieving the AUX_EVENT of each CPU and is required in perf mode. It has been added to the coresight_path so that dependent devices can access it from the path when needed.
The existing bug can be reproduced with: perf record -e cs_etm//k -C 0-9 dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/null
Showing an oops as follows: Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 000f6e84934ed19e
Call trace: tmc_etr_get_buffer+0x30/0x80 [coresight_tmc] (P)
catu_enable_hw+0xbc/0x3d0 [coresight_catu]
catu_enable+0x70/0xe0 [coresight_catu]
coresight_enable_path+0xb0/0x258 [coresight]
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 12/29/2025
The vulnerability CVE-2025-68370 represents a critical kernel memory access issue within the Linux kernel's CoreSight subsystem, specifically affecting the Trace Memory Controller (TMC) component used for performance monitoring and debugging. This flaw manifests as a kernel paging request failure when attempting to access virtual memory addresses that are not properly mapped, leading to system instability and potential denial of service conditions. The vulnerability occurs during the execution of performance monitoring commands that utilize the cs_etm event type, which is part of the Linux performance subsystem designed for tracing execution flow in ARM-based systems.
The technical root cause stems from an incomplete implementation in the coresight_path management system where the event handle necessary for retrieving AUX_EVENT data from each CPU is not properly maintained within the path structure. This missing handle reference creates a scenario where dependent devices attempting to access performance data through the coresight subsystem encounter null pointer dereferences or invalid memory access patterns. The specific virtual address 0x000f6e84934ed19e represents an unmapped memory location that the kernel attempts to access during the TMC ETR buffer retrieval process, triggering the kernel oops condition that terminates system operation.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple system crashes to encompass complete loss of performance monitoring capabilities for systems utilizing CoreSight tracing mechanisms. When exploited through the demonstrated command pattern perf record -e cs_etm//k -C 0-9 dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/null, the vulnerability can be reliably reproduced across ARM-based systems running affected kernel versions, making it particularly dangerous for production environments where performance monitoring and debugging are critical operations. The call trace indicates a chain of function calls starting from tmc_etr_get_buffer through catu_enable_hw and ultimately to coresight_enable_path, demonstrating how the missing handle propagates through the CoreSight subsystem architecture.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-125: Out-of-bounds Read and CWE-476: NULL Pointer Dereference categories, as the system attempts to access memory beyond its allocated bounds and fails to properly validate handle references within the coresight_path structure. The ATT&CK framework categorizes this under T1059: Command and Scripting Interpreter and T1566: Phishing, as it could potentially be leveraged by attackers to gain system control or disrupt services through carefully crafted performance monitoring commands. The fix implemented addresses the core issue by properly integrating the event handle into the coresight_path structure, ensuring that dependent devices can reliably access the necessary AUX_EVENT data without triggering memory access violations. Organizations should prioritize patching this vulnerability as it represents a direct threat to system stability and performance monitoring capabilities in ARM-based Linux environments.