In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier
Writing a hist trigger whose value or variable carries a modifier that is
not allowed there leaks the fields that were built for it.
__create_val_field() takes the field from parse_expr() and stores it in
hist_data->fields[] only after the modifier checks have run:
hist_field = parse_expr(hist_data, file, field_str, flags, var_name,
&n_subexprs);
...
if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR) {
if (hist_field->flags & (...))
goto err;
} else {
if (hist_field->flags & (...))
goto err;
}
hist_data->fields[val_idx] = hist_field;
Both checks jump past that store, and the err label returns without
freeing anything. The error unwinds to create_hist_data(), which calls
destroy_hist_data() -> destroy_hist_fields(), and that reaches a field
only by walking fields[]. A field that never got there is unreachable.
commit e0213434fe3e ("tracing: Do not let histogram values have some
modifiers") set ret to -EINVAL and fell through to the store, which left
the field owned by fields[] and freed along with the rest of hist_data.
Splitting the check into a value case and a variable case replaced that
fall-through with a goto that skips it.
With CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK, 200 writes of
# echo 'hist:keys=prev_pid:vals=next_pid.log2' > \
events/sched/sched_switch/trigger
each correctly rejected with -EINVAL, leave 332 unreferenced objects
(63744 bytes) reported at create_hist_field(); 200 install and remove
cycles of a valid trigger leave none. A '.log2' field is two
allocations, since create_hist_field() puts the plain field in
operands[0] of the log2 field, and both are reported.
Use destroy_hist_field() rather than __destroy_hist_field() so that
operands[0] is freed as well. It returns early for HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF,
which is what an operand owned by hist_data->var_refs[] needs; the
rejected field itself is never a var ref, because a var ref never carries
a modifier flag.
tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier
Writing a hist trigger whose value or variable carries a modifier that is
not allowed there leaks the fields that were built for it.
__create_val_field() takes the field from parse_expr() and stores it in
hist_data->fields[] only after the modifier checks have run:
hist_field = parse_expr(hist_data, file, field_str, flags, var_name,
&n_subexprs);
...
if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR) {
if (hist_field->flags & (...))
goto err;
} else {
if (hist_field->flags & (...))
goto err;
}
hist_data->fields[val_idx] = hist_field;
Both checks jump past that store, and the err label returns without
freeing anything. The error unwinds to create_hist_data(), which calls
destroy_hist_data() -> destroy_hist_fields(), and that reaches a field
only by walking fields[]. A field that never got there is unreachable.
commit e0213434fe3e ("tracing: Do not let histogram values have some
modifiers") set ret to -EINVAL and fell through to the store, which left
the field owned by fields[] and freed along with the rest of hist_data.
Splitting the check into a value case and a variable case replaced that
fall-through with a goto that skips it.
With CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK, 200 writes of
# echo 'hist:keys=prev_pid:vals=next_pid.log2' > \
events/sched/sched_switch/trigger
each correctly rejected with -EINVAL, leave 332 unreferenced objects
(63744 bytes) reported at create_hist_field(); 200 install and remove
cycles of a valid trigger leave none. A '.log2' field is two
allocations, since create_hist_field() puts the plain field in
operands[0] of the log2 field, and both are reported.
Use destroy_hist_field() rather than __destroy_hist_field() so that
operands[0] is freed as well. It returns early for HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF,
which is what an operand owned by hist_data->var_refs[] needs; the
rejected field itself is never a var ref, because a var ref never carries
a modifier flag.
Metrics
Affected Vendors & Products
Advisories
No advisories yet.
Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:30:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier Writing a hist trigger whose value or variable carries a modifier that is not allowed there leaks the fields that were built for it. __create_val_field() takes the field from parse_expr() and stores it in hist_data->fields[] only after the modifier checks have run: hist_field = parse_expr(hist_data, file, field_str, flags, var_name, &n_subexprs); ... if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR) { if (hist_field->flags & (...)) goto err; } else { if (hist_field->flags & (...)) goto err; } hist_data->fields[val_idx] = hist_field; Both checks jump past that store, and the err label returns without freeing anything. The error unwinds to create_hist_data(), which calls destroy_hist_data() -> destroy_hist_fields(), and that reaches a field only by walking fields[]. A field that never got there is unreachable. commit e0213434fe3e ("tracing: Do not let histogram values have some modifiers") set ret to -EINVAL and fell through to the store, which left the field owned by fields[] and freed along with the rest of hist_data. Splitting the check into a value case and a variable case replaced that fall-through with a goto that skips it. With CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK, 200 writes of # echo 'hist:keys=prev_pid:vals=next_pid.log2' > \ events/sched/sched_switch/trigger each correctly rejected with -EINVAL, leave 332 unreferenced objects (63744 bytes) reported at create_hist_field(); 200 install and remove cycles of a valid trigger leave none. A '.log2' field is two allocations, since create_hist_field() puts the plain field in operands[0] of the log2 field, and both are reported. Use destroy_hist_field() rather than __destroy_hist_field() so that operands[0] is freed as well. It returns early for HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF, which is what an operand owned by hist_data->var_refs[] needs; the rejected field itself is never a var ref, because a var ref never carries a modifier flag. | |
| Title | tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier | |
| First Time appeared |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| CPEs | cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | |
| Vendors & Products |
Linux
Linux linux Kernel |
|
| References |
|
Projects
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MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2026-09-25T10:22:41.081Z
Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:18:58.202Z
Link: CVE-2026-97921
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2026-09-25T11:17:19.160
Modified: 2026-09-25T11:17:19.160
Link: CVE-2026-97921
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.
Weaknesses
No weakness.