CVE-2026-23088
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
Use-After-Free Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Tracing Causes Crash

Publication date: 2026-02-04

Last updated on: 2026-03-17

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix crash on synthetic stacktrace field usage When creating a synthetic event based on an existing synthetic event that had a stacktrace field and the new synthetic event used that field a kernel crash occurred: ~# cd /sys/kernel/tracing ~# echo 's:stack unsigned long stack[];' > dynamic_events ~# echo 'hist:keys=prev_pid:s0=common_stacktrace if prev_state & 3' >> events/sched/sched_switch/trigger ~# echo 'hist:keys=next_pid:s1=$s0:onmatch(sched.sched_switch).trace(stack,$s1)' >> events/sched/sched_switch/trigger The above creates a synthetic event that takes a stacktrace when a task schedules out in a non-running state and passes that stacktrace to the sched_switch event when that task schedules back in. It triggers the "stack" synthetic event that has a stacktrace as its field (called "stack"). ~# echo 's:syscall_stack s64 id; unsigned long stack[];' >> dynamic_events ~# echo 'hist:keys=common_pid:s2=stack' >> events/synthetic/stack/trigger ~# echo 'hist:keys=common_pid:s3=$s2,i0=id:onmatch(synthetic.stack).trace(syscall_stack,$i0,$s3)' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_exit/trigger The above makes another synthetic event called "syscall_stack" that attaches the first synthetic event (stack) to the sys_exit trace event and records the stacktrace from the stack event with the id of the system call that is exiting. When enabling this event (or using it in a historgram): ~# echo 1 > events/synthetic/syscall_stack/enable Produces a kernel crash! BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: 0000000000400010 #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page PGD 0 P4D 0 Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP PTI CPU: 6 UID: 0 PID: 1257 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.16.3+deb14-amd64 #1 PREEMPT(lazy) Debian 6.16.3-1 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.17.0-debian-1.17.0-1 04/01/2014 RIP: 0010:trace_event_raw_event_synth+0x90/0x380 Code: c5 00 00 00 00 85 d2 0f 84 e1 00 00 00 31 db eb 34 0f 1f 00 66 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 66 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 <49> 8b 04 24 48 83 c3 01 8d 0c c5 08 00 00 00 01 cd 41 3b 5d 40 0f RSP: 0018:ffffd2670388f958 EFLAGS: 00010202 RAX: ffff8ba1065cc100 RBX: 0000000000000000 RCX: 0000000000000000 RDX: 0000000000000001 RSI: fffff266ffda7b90 RDI: ffffd2670388f9b0 RBP: 0000000000000010 R08: ffff8ba104e76000 R09: ffffd2670388fa50 R10: ffff8ba102dd42e0 R11: ffffffff9a908970 R12: 0000000000400010 R13: ffff8ba10a246400 R14: ffff8ba10a710220 R15: fffff266ffda7b90 FS: 00007fa3bc63f740(0000) GS:ffff8ba2e0f48000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 CR2: 0000000000400010 CR3: 0000000107f9e003 CR4: 0000000000172ef0 Call Trace: <TASK> ? __tracing_map_insert+0x208/0x3a0 action_trace+0x67/0x70 event_hist_trigger+0x633/0x6d0 event_triggers_call+0x82/0x130 trace_event_buffer_commit+0x19d/0x250 trace_event_raw_event_sys_exit+0x62/0xb0 syscall_exit_work+0x9d/0x140 do_syscall_64+0x20a/0x2f0 ? trace_event_raw_event_sched_switch+0x12b/0x170 ? save_fpregs_to_fpstate+0x3e/0x90 ? _raw_spin_unlock+0xe/0x30 ? finish_task_switch.isra.0+0x97/0x2c0 ? __rseq_handle_notify_resume+0xad/0x4c0 ? __schedule+0x4b8/0xd00 ? restore_fpregs_from_fpstate+0x3c/0x90 ? switch_fpu_return+0x5b/0xe0 ? do_syscall_64+0x1ef/0x2f0 ? do_fault+0x2e9/0x540 ? __handle_mm_fault+0x7d1/0xf70 ? count_memcg_events+0x167/0x1d0 ? handle_mm_fault+0x1d7/0x2e0 ? do_user_addr_fault+0x2c3/0x7f0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e The reason is that the stacktrace field is not labeled as such, and is treated as a normal field and not as a dynamic event that it is. In trace_event_raw_event_synth() the event is field is still treated as a dynamic array, but the retrieval of the data is considered a normal field, and the reference is just the meta data: // Meta data is retrieved instead of a dynamic array ---truncated---
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Meta Information
Published
2026-02-04
Last Modified
2026-03-17
Generated
2026-05-07
AI Q&A
2026-02-04
EPSS Evaluated
2026-05-05
NVD
CVE-2026-23088
EUVD
EUVD-2026-5454
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 12 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel From 5.10.237 (inc) to 5.11 (exc)
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel From 6.7 (inc) to 6.12.68 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.13 (inc) to 6.18.8 (exc)
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel From 5.15.124 (inc) to 5.16 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.1.43 (inc) to 6.2 (exc)
linux linux_kernel From 6.3 (inc) to 6.6.122 (exc)
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
CWE
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KEV
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CWE ID Description
CWE-476 The product dereferences a pointer that it expects to be valid but is NULL.
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?

This vulnerability occurs in the Linux kernel's tracing subsystem when creating synthetic events based on existing synthetic events that include a stacktrace field. Specifically, if a new synthetic event uses the stacktrace field from an existing synthetic event, it causes a kernel crash.

The root cause is that the stacktrace field is not properly labeled as a dynamic event field but is instead treated as a normal field. This leads to incorrect handling in the kernel code, where metadata is retrieved instead of the actual dynamic array data, resulting in a page fault and kernel crash.


How can this vulnerability impact me? :

This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to crash when certain synthetic tracing events involving stacktraces are enabled or used. A kernel crash can lead to system instability, downtime, and potential loss of data or service availability.


How does this vulnerability affect compliance with common standards and regulations (like GDPR, HIPAA)?:

I don't know


How can this vulnerability be detected on my network or system? Can you suggest some commands?

This vulnerability can be detected by attempting to create and enable specific synthetic trace events in the Linux kernel tracing subsystem that involve stacktrace fields. The commands below demonstrate how to reproduce the conditions that trigger the kernel crash caused by this vulnerability:

  • cd /sys/kernel/tracing
  • echo 's:stack unsigned long stack[];' > dynamic_events
  • echo 'hist:keys=prev_pid:s0=common_stacktrace if prev_state & 3' >> events/sched/sched_switch/trigger
  • echo 'hist:keys=next_pid:s1=$s0:onmatch(sched.sched_switch).trace(stack,$s1)' >> events/sched/sched_switch/trigger
  • echo 's:syscall_stack s64 id; unsigned long stack[];' >> dynamic_events
  • echo 'hist:keys=common_pid:s2=stack' >> events/synthetic/stack/trigger
  • echo 'hist:keys=common_pid:s3=$s2,i0=id:onmatch(synthetic.stack).trace(syscall_stack,$i0,$s3)' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_exit/trigger
  • echo 1 > events/synthetic/syscall_stack/enable

If enabling the synthetic event "syscall_stack" causes a kernel crash with a page fault error, this indicates the presence of the vulnerability.


What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?

I don't know


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