CVE-2026-97936 — tracing: Fix memory corruption from the histogram stacktrace modifier
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix memory corruption from the histogram stacktrace modifier parse_field() sets HIST_FIELD_FL_STACKTRACE from the ".stacktrace" modifier before it looks the field name up, and nothing afterwards checks that the name resolved to a field which holds a stacktrace. create_hist_field() picks HIST_FIELD_FN_STACK on the strength of the field pointer alone, which reads a __data_loc word from the record and follows its low 16 bits as an offset into the same record. event_hist_trigger() takes the first word there as an entry count and copies that many longs into a 31 entry array: n_entries = *stack; memcpy(entries, ++stack, n_entries * sizeof(unsigned long)); Neither end of that copy is bounded, and the count is whatever the event holds at the offset, so any field will do: # cd /sys/kernel/tracing/events/sched/sched_process_fork # echo 'hist:keys=parent_pid.stacktrace' > trigger # (true) BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000008 RIP: 0010:rb_insert_color+0x18/0x130 timerqueue_linked_add+0x7e/0xd0 enqueue_hrtimer+0x39/0xb0 __hrtimer_run_queues+0x10f/0x1f0 </IRQ> RIP: 0010:memcpy+0xc/0x30 event_hist_trigger+0x165/0x690 The timer interrupt landed on the rbtree the copy had already run over. No debug options are needed for this; KASAN reports the same write as an out-of-bounds read of 13835058055416381440 bytes. Documentation/trace/histogram.rst already states the rule, "must be a long[] type", so enforce it once the name has been resolved. Names which resolve to no field at all, "hitcount.stacktrace" and the common_* pseudo-fields, are refused for the same reason: they hold no stacktrace to read.
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 | ≥ cc5fc8bfc961eeb99b7e8dffbeff7a3f6995d314 and < 98da3379cdee343f671dac89b9afbd8b071f2591≥ cc5fc8bfc961eeb99b7e8dffbeff7a3f6995d314 and < e183b84968d4a6ea476d806ea97668405aa56880≥ cc5fc8bfc961eeb99b7e8dffbeff7a3f6995d314 and < 57bfc2a17954d173d2a4182f3b582ffbb23aff64≥ cc5fc8bfc961eeb99b7e8dffbeff7a3f6995d314 and < 55caaf25da2c2bb9b75307e4c868726cb954b1d6≥ cc5fc8bfc961eeb99b7e8dffbeff7a3f6995d314 and < a5e70ba87ca8ebc79b4e63de302d03b0625fe153version 6.3 | Vulnerable | CVE Program (cve.org) e CISA ADP |
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
5 on the record
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/e183b84968d4a6ea476d806ea97668405aa56880
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/55caaf25da2c2bb9b75307e4c868726cb954b1d6
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/57bfc2a17954d173d2a4182f3b582ffbb23aff64
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/98da3379cdee343f671dac89b9afbd8b071f2591
- git.kernel.org/stable/c/a5e70ba87ca8ebc79b4e63de302d03b0625fe153
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-2026-97936 is "tracing: Fix memory corruption from the histogram stacktrace modifier", 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.
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