CVE-2026-98076

tracing/probes: Fix use-after-free on field name/type of events with multiple probes

State
Published
Severity
Not scored
Published
Sep 25, 2026
Updated
Oct 19, 2026
Reserved
Sep 25, 2026

Read the record on cve.org

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing/probes: Fix use-after-free on field name/type of events with multiple probes

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.

Scores

The record has no CVSS score.

Weaknesses

The record names no weakness.

Affected Products

ProductVersions
LinuxLinux
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before 38305e1b8b1ec27eef8f2d4e461e3b6c8624d494Affected
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before 6d6118c17bc791594cbfd9cc4936ee21073b894aAffected
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before a2510fcaad92b09b34574c97e8356234c6a84a9aAffected
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before 9379e193826f23876daccb3351fab89c87084ba3Affected
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before 68ae584169c7a41fc9bc4677c1d368983cf44b21Affected
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before 411c9080a776577664531b4f7d3ee53b7a747ba8Affected
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before 178ff2e011e21fbebdf57f5d58a408fe59136d82Affected
  • ca89bc071d5e4e981dcc52e0ca90f4500d332e42 to before 86b7a239ec6b14a7544200ede85474c6f5526049Affected
LinuxLinux
  • 5.4Affected
  • before 5.4Not affected
  • 5.10.271 through 5.10.*Not affected
  • 5.15.222 through 5.15.*Not affected
  • 6.1.189 through 6.1.*Not affected
  • 6.6.158 through 6.6.*Not affected
  • 6.12.111 through 6.12.*Not affected
  • 6.18.53 through 6.18.*Not affected
  • 7.2.7 through 7.2.*Not affected
  • 7.3 and laterNot affected

References

Every record here comes from the CVE Program’s CVE List. © 1999–2026 The MITRE Corporation. CVE is a registered trademark of The MITRE Corporation. The records are reproduced under the CVE Program terms of use.