CVE-2026-97918 — tracing: Undo the registration when enabling the histogram trigger fails
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Undo the registration when enabling the histogram trigger fails Commit 6f86bdeab633 ("tracing: Fix bad hist from corrupting named_triggers list") described how a trigger that is registered but not on file->triggers ends up freed while still on the global named_triggers list, and moved the registration down so that hist_trigger_enable() follows it immediately. One path still gets there. hist_trigger_enable() adds the trigger and takes it straight back out when the event cannot be enabled: list_add_tail_rcu(&data->list, &file->triggers); update_cond_flag(file); if (trace_event_trigger_enable_disable(file, 1) < 0) { list_del_rcu(&data->list); update_cond_flag(file); ret--; } so the list walk in hist_unregister_trigger() matches nothing, test stays NULL, and the ->free() that would call del_named_trigger() is skipped. out_unreg falls through to out_free, which frees the trigger anyway: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in find_named_trigger+0xac/0xc0 Read of size 8 at addr ffff8880091d3160 by task init/1 find_named_trigger+0xac/0xc0 hist_register_trigger+0xc1/0xa00 event_hist_trigger_parse+0x3146/0x6af0 event_trigger_write+0xce/0x160 Freed by task 69: kfree+0x154/0x420 trigger_kthread_fn+0xfd/0x160 Leave the trigger where hist_unregister_trigger() can find it and let that undo the registration, which is the only code that knows all of what cmd_ops->init() took: the named list entry, the hist_pad reference, the reference on the trigger a named histogram is shared with, and the copied cmd_ops. It also pairs the failed trace_event_trigger_enable_disable(), whose sm_ref and buffered event reference are otherwise left behind. Since ->free() releases trigger_data and, for a trigger that does not share its histogram, hist_data with it, out_unreg can no longer fall through to out_free. For a trigger that does share, hist_register_trigger() has already destroyed the caller's hist_data, so the fall-through was reading freed memory there as well. Move the enable_timestamps check in hist_unregister_trigger() above the ->free() call for the same reason: hist_data does not outlive it once the trigger being removed is the one that owns it.
Who exploits it and how urgent it is
A 0–100 score combining confirmed exploitation, ransomware and APT use, public exploits, EPSS and severity.
How the score was calculated
- EPSS 0.2% (30-day exploitation probability)+1
The score orders the patch queue; it does not replace your asset context (internet exposure, criticality, compensating controls).
Triage
Is it exploited, how likely is exploitation, what does it touch, and how severe do the sources call it.
Remediation
Fixes and mitigations documented by the sources — linked to the original advisory.
No fix documented by the sources we poll. That does not mean none exists: check the vendor advisory.
First 24 hours
Ordered from the record’s own fields — exposure first, because you cannot patch what you have not found. A rule-generated starting point.
- Identify exposed assets running the affected vendor/product/version combinations (Linux Linux).
- No fix documented in the sources: reduce exposure and monitor the vendor advisory.
- Search available logs for exploit probes, errors and authentication anomalies.
Affected scope
Vendor, product and versions as the sources word them.
| Vendor | Product | Versions | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | ≥ 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13 and < c7ee2d5733574d4694f7c0035e4381f54c1fca27≥ 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13 and < 51b07104d563d4be2be34158d3b9d922ca417642≥ 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13 and < bfa6bc11aef93a3d9db0ac9564b734849a9d959b≥ 067fe038e70f6e64960d26a79c4df5f1413d0f13 and < 92383cef66791a0c63a2f27755cadbdb2fbf270bversion 4.17 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
EPSS over time FIRST
Oct 15, 2026 → Oct 16, 2026 · 2 reading(s) · max 0.20%
Detection
Read off the CVSS vector and the weakness class. Starting points, not tested rules.
- Not enough vector or weakness data: use the affected application’s logs as a starting point.
Timeline
What happened to this CVE, newest first.
- 2026
- Record published
- Affected products added · linux/linux
- Source status changed · → Received
- Record created in this database
- CVE published
Source activity
Repeated readings are counted rather than listed.
- 1× Official description updated · Oct 15, 2026 – Oct 15, 2026
References
4 on the record
Elsewhere on this site
Related CVEs (same products)
- Critical CVE-2026-99999 ipv4: validate checksum_start before completing checksum 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98432 ipv4: free inet_opt and ireq_opt after an RCU grace period 1d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98431 RDMA/uverbs: Fix mmap_lock/disassociation_lock circular dependency 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98430 RDMA/efa: Keep admin queues alive while IRQ is registered 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98429 RDMA/efa: Keep EQ resources alive while IRQ is registered 2d
- Unknown CVE-2026-98428 ALSA: usb: 6fire: Avoid embedded URBs 2d
Not in any source we poll
Listed rather than left blank: an empty field and an unmeasured one look identical on screen, and only one is a reason to look elsewhere.
- No CVSS score published by NVD, the CNA, CISA or GitHub so far.
- No fixed version, patch or mitigation documented.
- No CISA SSVC assessment.
- No CWE classification.
- No confirmed IOCs, IP addresses, domains, file hashes, or malware artifacts supplied.
- No organization-specific asset inventory, compensating-control status, or patch deployment evidence supplied.
- No exploit packet captures, log samples, or incident case IDs supplied.
Answered from this record
Text assembled only from the fields above — no additional claims.
What should defenders know first?
CVE-2026-97918 is "tracing: Undo the registration when enabling the histogram trigger fails", rated Unknown. It affects Linux (Linux); versions are in the scope table. It is not in CISA KEV, which does not rule out exploitation. EPSS 0.20% estimates the probability of exploitation in 30 days; neither replaces your asset context. First verify whether exposed or business-critical assets run the affected versions, apply vendor fixes or mitigations, and preserve logs for review.
Comments
Moderated technical discussion. Read the community guidelines.
No comments yet.
Sign in or create an account to comment and suggest corrections.