Look up another CVE · open CVE-2026-98076 in the interactive tracker
CVE-2026-98076
tracing/probes: Fix use-after-free on field name/type of events with multiple probes
Published 2026-09-25 (24 days ago) by the Linux kernel CNA. Subsystem kernel/trace. Debian urgency: not yet assigned.
What to do, per Debian release
Debian's own status for CVE-2026-98076 in every release this site tracks, and what each one means in practice. Every status below is the one the Debian Security Team publishes for this CVE. source
| Release | Status | Version | What this means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 12bookworm | fixedDLA-4841-1 · 2026-10-17 · text | 6.1.190-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4841-1 shipped the fix on 2026-10-17, in 6.1.190-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian 13trixie | fixedDSA-6528-1 · 2026-09-29 · text | 6.12.111-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. DSA-6528-1 shipped the fix on 2026-09-29, in 6.12.111-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian 14forky | fixed | 7.2.7-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.7-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian unstablesid | fixed | 7.2.7-1 | Update the kernel and reboot. Fixed in 7.2.7-1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
| Debian 12bookworm · linux-6.12 | fixedDLA-4817-1 · 2026-10-04 · text | 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 | Update the kernel and reboot. DLA-4817-1 shipped the fix on 2026-10-04, in 6.12.111-1~deb12u1. A running kernel keeps the old code until the machine restarts. |
The vulnerability
What the bug is
The fields of a probe-based dynamic event (kprobe, uprobe, eprobe and fprobe events) are created in traceprobe_define_arg_fields() by handing the probe_arg name/type strings to trace_define_field(), which only stores the pointers without copying. Those strings are owned by the trace_probe and are freed when that probe is removed. An event can have several probes attached. The field list is defined only once, by the first probe that registers the event, but it is kept alive by any surviving sibling probe. Deleting just that first probe by symbol - # primary A: fields are defined from A's args echo 'p:kprobes/ev vfs_read a1=$arg1' > kprobe_events # append B: shares A's event call echo 'p:kprobes/ev vfs_write a1=$arg1' >> kprobe_events # delete only A (matched by symbol), B survives echo '-:kprobes/ev vfs_read' >> kprobe_events frees A's args (trace_probe_cleanup() -> traceprobe_free_probe_arg()), but trace_probe_unlink() keeps the trace_probe_event because the probe list is not empty. The event call stays registered via B while its fields now reference freed memory. Any field lookup then reads it, e.g. echo 'a1 == 1' > events/kprobes/ev/filter BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in strcmp+0xa7/0xb0 Call Trace: strcmp trace_find_event_field parse_pred process_preds create_filter apply_event_filter event_filter_write field->name references parg->name (kstrdup'd, freed with the probe) and, for array arguments, field->type references parg->fmt (kmalloc'd, freed with the probe) - the scalar type otherwise points at the static fmttype rodata, which is safe. Have traceprobe_define_arg_fields() duplicate the name and type strings and anchor the copies on the trace_probe_event, which embeds the event call and outlives every individual probe; trace_probe_event_free() releases them. The reproducer above triggers reliably; the field lookup and the delete both run under event_mutex, so this is a dangling reference after removal rather than a race. The issue was found by the autokbug dynamic kernel fuzzer at Tencent Yunding Lab.
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_probe.c
kernel/trace/trace_probe.h
- 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_PROBE_EVENTS|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
- forky, sidYnot built on arm64/arm64, arm64/arm64-16k, arm64/cloud-arm64, arm64/rt-arm64, armhf/armmp, armhf/armmp-lpae
- 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_PROBE_EVENTS, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 5.4 | 5.10.271 | 38305e1b8b1e |
| 5.4 | 5.15.222 | 6d6118c17bc7 |
| 5.4 | 6.1.189 | a2510fcaad92 |
| 5.4 | 6.6.158 | 9379e193826f |
| 5.4 | 6.12.111 | 68ae584169c7 |
| 5.4 | 6.18.53 | 411c9080a776 |
| 5.4 | 7.2.7 | 178ff2e011e2 |
| 5.4 | 7.3 | 86b7a239ec6b |
Debian advisories
| Advisory | Date | Shipped to | Debian |
|---|---|---|---|
| DLA-4841-1 | 2026-10-17 | bookworm 6.1.190-1 | tracker |
| DLA-4817-1 | 2026-10-04 | bookworm 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 | tracker |
| DSA-6528-1 | 2026-09-29 | trixie 6.12.111-1 | tracker |
Why the CNA scored it this way
The kernel CNA published no CVSS vector and no reasoning for CVE-2026-98076, which is why it is shown as unrated rather than given an invented score. 6,405 of the 20,413 CVEs here carry reasoning; this is not one of them.