CVE-2026-23138
Unknown Unknown - Not Provided
Infinite Recursion Vulnerability in Linux Kernel Tracing Component

Publication date: 2026-02-14

Last updated on: 2026-03-25

Assigner: kernel.org

Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Add recursion protection in kernel stack trace recording A bug was reported about an infinite recursion caused by tracing the rcu events with the kernel stack trace trigger enabled. The stack trace code called back into RCU which then called the stack trace again. Expand the ftrace recursion protection to add a set of bits to protect events from recursion. Each bit represents the context that the event is in (normal, softirq, interrupt and NMI). Have the stack trace code use the interrupt context to protect against recursion. Note, the bug showed an issue in both the RCU code as well as the tracing stacktrace code. This only handles the tracing stack trace side of the bug. The RCU fix will be handled separately.
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Meta Information
Published
2026-02-14
Last Modified
2026-03-25
Generated
2026-06-16
AI Q&A
2026-02-14
EPSS Evaluated
2026-06-15
NVD
CVE-2026-23138
EUVD
EUVD-2026-5899
Affected Vendors & Products
Showing 5 associated CPEs
Vendor Product Version / Range
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel 6.19
linux linux_kernel From 5.8 (inc) to 6.18.6 (exc)
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CWE ID Description
CWE-UNKNOWN
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Executive Summary

This vulnerability is related to the Linux kernel's tracing functionality. Specifically, it involves an infinite recursion issue caused when tracing RCU (Read-Copy-Update) events with the kernel stack trace trigger enabled.

The problem occurs because the stack trace code calls back into RCU, which then triggers the stack trace again, leading to infinite recursion.

The fix involves adding recursion protection by using a set of bits representing different contexts (normal, softirq, interrupt, and NMI) to prevent events from recursively triggering themselves. The stack trace code now uses the interrupt context to protect against this recursion.

Note that this fix addresses only the tracing stack trace side of the bug; the RCU side will be fixed separately.

Impact Analysis

This vulnerability can cause the Linux kernel to enter an infinite recursion state when tracing RCU events with the kernel stack trace trigger enabled.

Such infinite recursion can lead to system instability, crashes, or kernel panics, potentially causing denial of service or unexpected behavior in systems relying on the affected kernel.

Compliance Impact

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Detection Guidance

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