CVE-2026-97923

What the bug is

create_var_ref() allocates a VAR_REF hist_field and then calls init_var_ref() to fill it in. When that fails the field is leaked. commit 656fe2ba85e8 ("tracing: Use hist trigger's var_ref array to destroy var_refs") made destroy_hist_field() return early for HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF, since var refs are freed by walking the trigger's var_refs[] array instead. create_var_ref() adds the field to that array only after init_var_ref() has succeeded, so on this path the field is in neither place and nothing frees it. The call was correct when it was written, before var refs were taken out of destroy_hist_field(). init_var_ref() cannot free it either. The caller owns the field, so init_var_ref() undoes only its own string allocations and leaves the field alone. Freeing it there would leave create_var_ref() passing freed memory to destroy_hist_field(), which reads its flags. Call __destroy_hist_field(), which frees the field without consulting the flag.

Where it lives

The fix touches these files. If the subsystem is one you do not use, the practical exposure is lower, though the package is still the vulnerable one.

kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c

What this is

TRACINGMAINTAINERS section matched on kernel/trace/ · linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org · Maintained

Check it on the machine

grep -wE 'CONFIG_FUNCTION_TRACER|CONFIG_HIST_TRIGGERS|CONFIG_RETHOOK|CONFIG_RING_BUFFER|CONFIG_TRACEPOINTS|CONFIG_TRACE_CLOCK|CONFIG_TRACING' /boot/config-$(uname -r)

Reads the booted kernel's own configuration, on the machine and nowhere else. =y is built in, =m is a module, and an is not set line means the code is not there.

Show whether Debian builds this, per release

Debian builds this, but not on every flavour. At least one release below builds the code on some of its kernel flavours and not on others, so the answer depends on the architecture and flavour installed.

• bookwormYnot built on arm64/arm64, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt/arm64, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, armhf/rt/armmp, ppc64el/powerpc64le
• trixieYnot built on arm64/arm64, arm64/arm64-16k, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt/arm64, armel/rpi, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, armhf/rt/armmp, riscv64/riscv64
• forky, sidYnot built on arm64/arm64, arm64/arm64-16k, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt-arm64, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, loong64/loong64
• bookworm · linux-6.12Ynot built on arm64/arm64, arm64/arm64-16k, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt/arm64, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae, armhf/rt/armmp

Y

built in where it is built at all; some flavours do not build it

Build switches

CONFIG_FUNCTION_TRACER, CONFIG_HIST_TRIGGERS, CONFIG_RETHOOK, CONFIG_RING_BUFFER, CONFIG_TRACEPOINTS, CONFIG_TRACE_CLOCK, CONFIG_TRACING

Reads as

all on means the file is compiled; any one off means it is not.

From the configuration Debian publishes for every kernel flavour it builds. It covers only the architectures Debian ships a linux-config package for, and nothing about a kernel you built yourself. Debian's own status above stays authoritative about the source package.MAINTAINERS kbuild Makefiles Debian linux-config packages

Signals

Published

2026-09-25 (24 days ago)source

CVSS

no vector published, unrated

Attack vector

not published

EPSS

0.21%, higher than 10.5% of all CVEssource

CISA KEV

not listedthe KEV catalogue

Debian urgency

not yet assignedsource

Subsystem

kernel/trace

Upstream fixes

The versions the CNA records as introducing and fixing this, and the commit for each. source

Introduced	Fixed in	Commit
5.0	5.10.271	608b7751926e
5.0	5.15.222	4870f9071c9e
5.0	6.1.189	352f84a381e7
5.0	6.6.158	4924328d6991
5.0	6.12.111	74375caa20fe
5.0	6.18.53	222abcbe7866
5.0	7.2.7	a69baeac3867
5.0	7.3	516001d53e6b
4.19.100	0	0

Debian advisories