The function attach_perf_ctx_data() can experience a race between global and non‑global contexts, causing the global reference counter to be incorrectly incremented or decremented and leading to a reference count leak. The vulnerability is rooted in a missing lock protection in certain code paths and an improper handling of concurrent access to shared variables.

All Linux kernel versions that include the perf subsystem’s attach_perf_ctx_data() path are potentially affected. The issue is present across all Linux distributions that ship the default kernel with this code; specific version ranges are not listed in the advisory.

Because no CVSS score or EPSS value is provided and the vulnerability is not listed in CISA’s KEV catalog, the severity remains unquantified. However, a persistent reference count leak can accumulate over time and eventually exhaust system memory, resulting in denial of service. The attack vector appears to be local, requiring kernel execution privileges, and an attacker would need to trigger repeated attach_perf_ctx_data() calls to exhaust resources. The impact is confined to the host system and its services.