diff --git a/tools/perf/util/machine.c b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
index c2e0a99efe97..e5d1e8b882a9 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/machine.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/machine.c
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <regex.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
+#include <string.h>
 #include "callchain.h"
 #include "debug.h"
 #include "dso.h"
@@ -729,9 +730,15 @@ static int machine__process_ksymbol_register(struct machine *machine,
 {
 	struct symbol *sym;
 	struct dso *dso = NULL;
-	struct map *map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), event->ksymbol.addr);
+	struct map *map;
 	int err = 0;
 
+	/* Ignore mapping symbols in ksymbol events - check early before any state mutation */
+	if (is_ignored_kernel_symbol(event->ksymbol.name))
+		return 0;
+
+	map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), event->ksymbol.addr);
+
 	if (!map) {
 		dso = dso__new(event->ksymbol.name);
 
@@ -790,6 +797,10 @@ static int machine__process_ksymbol_unregister(struct machine *machine,
 	struct symbol *sym;
 	struct map *map;
 
+	/* Ignore mapping symbols in ksymbol events */
+	if (is_ignored_kernel_symbol(event->ksymbol.name))
+		return 0;
+
 	map = maps__find(machine__kernel_maps(machine), event->ksymbol.addr);
 	if (!map)
 		return 0;
@@ -814,6 +825,11 @@ int machine__process_ksymbol(struct machine *machine __maybe_unused,
 	if (dump_trace)
 		perf_event__fprintf_ksymbol(event, stdout);
 
+	if (event->header.size < offsetof(struct perf_record_ksymbol, name) + 2 ||
+	    !memchr(event->ksymbol.name, '\0',
+		    event->header.size - offsetof(struct perf_record_ksymbol, name)))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	/* no need to process non-JIT BPF as it cannot get samples */
 	if (event->ksymbol.len == 0)
 		return 0;
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
index fcaeeddbbb6b..714b6e6048fa 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.c
@@ -770,8 +770,8 @@ static int map__process_kallsym_symbol(void *arg, const char *name,
 	if (!symbol_type__filter(type))
 		return 0;
 
-	/* Ignore local symbols for ARM modules */
-	if (name[0] == '$')
+	/* Ignore mapping symbols in kallsyms */
+	if (is_ignored_kernel_symbol(name))
 		return 0;
 
 	/*
diff --git a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
index bd6eb90c8668..95592779eb77 100644
--- a/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
+++ b/tools/perf/util/symbol.h
@@ -28,6 +28,21 @@ struct maps;
 struct option;
 struct build_id;
 
+/*
+ * Ignore kernel mapping symbols, matching kernel is_mapping_symbol() logic.
+ * This checks for '$' prefix (used by ARM, AArch64, RISC-V) and
+ * x86 local symbol prefixes (.L* and L0*).
+ * Only use this for kernel symbols (kallsyms, ksymbol events, kernel ELF DSOs).
+ */
+static inline bool is_ignored_kernel_symbol(const char *str)
+{
+	if (str[0] == '.' && str[1] == 'L')
+		return true;
+	if (str[0] == 'L' && str[1] == '0')
+		return true;
+	return str[0] == '$';
+}
+
 /*
  * libelf 0.8.x and earlier do not support ELF_C_READ_MMAP;
  * for newer versions we can use mmap to reduce memory usage: