CVE-2026-99234
tracing: Unregister field variable histograms when the command fails
What happened?
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tracing: Unregister field variable histograms when the command fails
An action that names a field on another event needs that field as a variable, so create_field_var_hist() registers a second hist trigger on that event to provide it, and records it in target_hist_data->field_var_hists[].
If a later part of the same command fails, create_actions() returns an error and event_hist_trigger_parse() jumps to out_free. The write fails with -EINVAL and sched_switch gets no trigger, but:
# echo 'hist:keys=pid:ts0=common_timestamp.usecs' >> \ events/sched/sched_waking/trigger # echo 'my_synth u64 lat; int a; int b' >> synthetic_events # echo 'hist:keys=next_pid:wakeup_lat=common_timestamp.usecs-$ts0:\ onmatch(sched.sched_waking).my_synth($wakeup_lat,prio,nosuchfld)'\ >> events/sched/sched_switch/trigger # cat events/sched/sched_waking/trigger hist:keys=pid:vals=hitcount:ts0=common_timestamp.usecs:sort=hitcount:size=2048:clock=global [active] hist:keys=pid:vals=hitcount:synthetic_prio=prio:sort=hitcount:size=2048 [active]
The second histogram is the one created for 'prio'. It is still active and still counting.
out_free reaches destroy_field_var_hists(), which frees the field_var_hists[] entries, but never unregister_field_var_hists(), which is what removes the triggers and runs only from event_hist_trigger_free(). The entry is freed and the trigger is left with nothing tracking it.
Unregister the field variable histograms in out_free as well, and record each one as soon as its trigger is registered rather than after the lookup that follows it, so no exit can leave a registered trigger untracked. The entry then belongs to field_var_hists[] and is released by destroy_field_var_hists(), so freeing it on that exit would be a double free.
Affected software and versions
| Software | Version information | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| LinuxLinux | affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < f21351d1c4cdcc6a68f03636a407c2af1a5e1e10; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < dba0f492703956801149cc70b39d2650a37995c3; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < a3d7ffd2409700748a495b645948fef48199206e; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < aae0ccd7326eef78dcdefffef3d1253e6f0615ca; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < 8482ec5b65f606d5bbcec518e0afc69ad65ca414; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < 431959fc76456cbba539279fe8967aa9391e6f23; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < 5afb9317e2eeb1c7021a82995ce244fda5a4bd4f; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < d0090baf02dd08f6e909f36f0ad54a4e80f5e79b; affected: 02205a6752f223779a1b0e9e8ffacbea6e717851 to < 91c14d6c13096091c56304120aaa26e479130b8b | See vendor advisory |
| LinuxLinux | affected: 4.17; unaffected: 0 to < 4.17; unaffected: 5.10.273 to ≤ 5.10.*; unaffected: 5.15.224 to ≤ 5.15.*; unaffected: 6.1.191 to ≤ 6.1.*; unaffected: 6.6.161 to ≤ 6.6.*; unaffected: 6.12.115 to ≤ 6.12.*; unaffected: 6.18.60 to ≤ 6.18.*; unaffected: 7.2.14 to ≤ 7.2.*; unaffected: 7.3.1 to ≤ 7.3.*; unaffected: 7.4-rc1 to ≤ * | See vendor advisory |
Version information comes from the source record and can include unaffected products and exceptions. Distribution packages may contain backported fixes: an older upstream version alone does not prove a server is affected.
Is it being exploited?
This CVE was not listed in the CISA catalogue at our last retrieval. This does not establish that exploitation is absent.
How to respond
- Confirm the product, installed package version, and any configuration requirements in the vendor advisory.
- Follow the vendor’s remediation or workaround guidance in the references below. Structured fixed-version data is unavailable here; the publisher’s description may include a fix or workaround.
- Restart affected services if required, then verify the running version. Known exploitation may warrant investigation as well as patching.
Sources and remediation references
- https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-99234
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f21351d1c4cdcc6a68f03636a407c2af1a5e1e10
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dba0f492703956801149cc70b39d2650a37995c3
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3d7ffd2409700748a495b645948fef48199206e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aae0ccd7326eef78dcdefffef3d1253e6f0615ca
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8482ec5b65f606d5bbcec518e0afc69ad65ca414
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/431959fc76456cbba539279fe8967aa9391e6f23
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5afb9317e2eeb1c7021a82995ce244fda5a4bd4f
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0090baf02dd08f6e909f36f0ad54a4e80f5e79b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/91c14d6c13096091c56304120aaa26e479130b8b