Azure Linux 3.0 Security Update: kernel (CVE-2025-37878)

medium Nessus Plugin ID 295875

Synopsis

The remote Azure Linux host is missing one or more security updates.

Description

The version of kernel installed on the remote Azure Linux 3.0 host is prior to tested version. It is, therefore, affected by a vulnerability as referenced in the CVE-2025-37878 advisory.

- In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: perf/core: Fix WARN_ON(!ctx) in
__free_event() for partial init Move the get_ctx(child_ctx) call and the child_event->ctx assignment to occur immediately after the child event is allocated. Ensure that child_event->ctx is non-NULL before any subsequent error path within inherit_event calls free_event(), satisfying the assumptions of the cleanup code. Details: There's no clear Fixes tag, because this bug is a side-effect of multiple interacting commits over time (up to 15 years old), not a single regression. The code initially incremented refcount then assigned context immediately after the child_event was created. Later, an early validity check for child_event was added before the refcount/assignment. Even later, a WARN_ON_ONCE() cleanup check was added, assuming event->ctx is valid if the pmu_ctx is valid. The problem is that the WARN_ON_ONCE() could trigger after the initial check passed but before child_event->ctx was assigned, violating its precondition. The solution is to assign child_event->ctx right after its initial validation. This ensures the context exists for any subsequent checks or cleanup routines, resolving the WARN_ON_ONCE(). To resolve it, defer the refcount update and child_event->ctx assignment directly after child_event->pmu_ctx is set but before checking if the parent event is orphaned. The cleanup routine depends on event->pmu_ctx being non-NULL before it verifies event->ctx is non-NULL. This also maintains the author's original intent of passing in child_ctx to find_get_pmu_context before its refcount/assignment. [ mingo: Expanded the changelog from another email by Gabriel Shahrouzi. ] (CVE-2025-37878)

Note that Nessus has not tested for this issue but has instead relied only on the application's self-reported version number.

Solution

Update the affected packages.

See Also

https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-37878

Plugin Details

Severity: Medium

ID: 295875

File Name: azure_linux_CVE-2025-37878.nasl

Version: 1.1

Type: local

Published: 1/22/2026

Updated: 1/22/2026

Supported Sensors: Nessus

Risk Information

VPR

Risk Factor: Medium

Score: 4.4

CVSS v2

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 4.6

Temporal Score: 3.4

Vector: CVSS2#AV:L/AC:L/Au:S/C:N/I:N/A:C

CVSS Score Source: CVE-2025-37878

CVSS v3

Risk Factor: Medium

Base Score: 5.5

Temporal Score: 4.8

Vector: CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Temporal Vector: CVSS:3.0/E:U/RL:O/RC:C

Vulnerability Information

CPE: p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-debuginfo, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-devel, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-gpu, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:python3-perf, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-docs, x-cpe:/o:microsoft:azure_linux, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-sound, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:bpftool, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-intree-amdgpu, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-drivers-accessibility, p-cpe:/a:microsoft:azure_linux:kernel-tools

Required KB Items: Host/local_checks_enabled, Host/AzureLinux/release, Host/AzureLinux/rpm-list, Host/cpu

Exploit Ease: No known exploits are available

Patch Publication Date: 7/8/2025

Vulnerability Publication Date: 5/9/2025

Reference Information

CVE: CVE-2025-37878