Re: [PATCH] powerpc, perf: Check that current->mm is alive before getting user callchain

Viktor Malik
2026-03-05T12:45:59Z

On 3/3/26 15:58, Saket Kumar Bhaskar wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 27, 2026 at 09:25:02AM +0100, Viktor Malik wrote:
>> It may happen that mm is already released, which leads to kernel panic.
>> This adds the NULL check for current->mm, similarly to 20afc60f892d
>> ("x86, perf: Check that current->mm is alive before getting user
>> callchain").
>>
>> I was getting this panic when running a profiling BPF program
>> (profile.py from bcc-tools):
>>
>> [26215.051935] Kernel attempted to read user page (588) - exploit attempt? (uid: 0)
>> [26215.051950] BUG: Kernel NULL pointer dereference on read at 0x00000588
>> [26215.051952] Faulting instruction address: 0xc00000000020fac0
>> [26215.051957] Oops: Kernel access of bad area, sig: 11 [#1]
>> [...]
>> [26215.052049] Call Trace:
>> [26215.052050] [c000000061da6d30] [c00000000020fc10] perf_callchain_user_64+0x2d0/0x490 (unreliable)
>> [26215.052054] [c000000061da6dc0] [c00000000020f92c] perf_callchain_user+0x1c/0x30
>> [26215.052057] [c000000061da6de0] [c0000000005ab2a0] get_perf_callchain+0x100/0x360
>> [26215.052063] [c000000061da6e70] [c000000000573bc8] bpf_get_stackid+0x88/0xf0
>> [26215.052067] [c000000061da6ea0] [c008000000042258] bpf_prog_16d4ab9ab662f669_do_perf_event+0xf8/0x274
>> [...]
>>
>> Fixes: 20002ded4d93 ("perf_counter: powerpc: Add callchain support")
>> Signed-off-by: Viktor Malik <vmalik@redhat.com>
>> ---
>> arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_32.c | 3 +++
>> arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_64.c | 3 +++
>> 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+)
>>
>> diff --git a/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_32.c b/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_32.c
>> index ddcc2d8aa64a..b46e21679566 100644
>> --- a/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_32.c
>> +++ b/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_32.c
>> @@ -144,6 +144,9 @@ void perf_callchain_user_32(struct perf_callchain_entry_ctx *entry,
>> sp = regs->gpr[1];
>> perf_callchain_store(entry, next_ip);
>>
>> + if (!current->mm)
>> + return;
>> +
>> while (entry->nr < entry->max_stack) {
>> fp = (unsigned int __user *) (unsigned long) sp;
>> if (invalid_user_sp(sp) || read_user_stack_32(fp, &next_sp))
>> diff --git a/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_64.c b/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_64.c
>> index 115d1c105e8a..eaaadd6fa81b 100644
>> --- a/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_64.c
>> +++ b/arch/powerpc/perf/callchain_64.c
>> @@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ void perf_callchain_user_64(struct perf_callchain_entry_ctx *entry,
>> sp = regs->gpr[1];
>> perf_callchain_store(entry, next_ip);
>>
>> + if (!current->mm)
>> + return;
>> +
>> while (entry->nr < entry->max_stack) {
>> fp = (unsigned long __user *) sp;
>> if (invalid_user_sp(sp) || read_user_stack_64(fp, &next_sp))
>> --
>> 2.53.0
>>
> Sorry, I missed adding cc list for the last conversation so adding this for reference:
>
>> Wouldn't be good if we check this in perf_callchain_user() as it will
>> cover both cases.
>
> to which Viktor replied:
> I considered it but in that case, we'd also miss the top-level stack
> frame (the perf_callchain_store call above). Other arches include it so
> I followed the behavior for powerpc.
>
> Viktor, agreed with your first point. I have another concern:
>
> I was hitting this issue with stacktrace_build_id_nmi in bpf and
> applied this patch https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/20260126074331.815684-1-chen.dylane@linux.dev/T/#mf901967ebe77506f1bd6e3d876c2a85824d9519d
>
> Wondering if the above generic fix is working do we need to add this
> check in powerpc specific code?

I tried to apply that patch series but, unfortunately, keep getting the
panic when running the BCC profile tool.

Also, looking at the patch, it seems that it would only solve the issue
when perf_callchain_user is called from a BPF context, however, I assume
that it may be called from other contexts, too.

Since perf_callchain_user_{32,64} are dereferencing current->mm while
walking the stack, I think that an explicit protection against
current->mm being NULL makes sense here, even in the presence of the
above patch. Especially since other arches have it, too.

Viktor