Answer in brief
CVE-2026-97923 records a Unknown severity vulnerability in tracing: Free histogram the var ref when its initialization fails. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
Analysis pending evidence review
HOL Guard separates source facts from reviewed analysis. See the methodology.
A CVSS score is not reported in the current record. The current sources do not mark it as known exploited. Treat this as a source-backed prioritization signal, not a statement about your environment.
Analysis status
Analysis pending evidence review
Factual feed record only; HOL analysis is not approved for indexing. Read the methodology.
The current feed maps Linux/Linux (generic), Linux/Linux (generic). Check affected ranges and fixed versions before updating.
| Package | Affected range | Fixed version |
|---|---|---|
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | >=656fe2ba85e81d00e4447bf77b8da2be3c47acb2 <74375caa20fe5165807b4334c783d1790b01f02a || >=656fe2ba85e81d00e4447bf77b8da2be3c47acb2 <222abcbe7866fef04563b6eb89fb21f627dcbc77 || >=656fe2ba85e81d00e4447bf77b8da2be3c47acb2 <a69baeac38677270656e85753d93856a076dee57 || >=656fe2ba85e81d00e4447bf77b8da2be3c47acb2 <516001d53e6b2ea95a251ee2ef54a1a689a3fd58 || 836717841a30d7845cdf9cb806ee0ff3bfa7135a || >=4.19.100 <4.20 | 74375caa20fe5165807b4334c783d1790b01f02a, 222abcbe7866fef04563b6eb89fb21f627dcbc77, a69baeac38677270656e85753d93856a076dee57, 516001d53e6b2ea95a251ee2ef54a1a689a3fd58, 4.20 |
| Linux/Linuxgeneric | 5.0 | Not reported |
Published upstream
Sep 25, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordSource modified
Sep 25, 2026
Evidence: source:cvelist:source_dates:source-dates:recordFirst seen by HOL
Sep 25, 2026
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Free histogram the var ref when its initialization fails create_var_ref() allocates a VAR_REF hist_field and then calls init_var_ref() to fill it in. When that fails the field is leaked. commit 656fe2ba85e8 ("tracing: Use hist trigger's var_ref array to destroy var_refs") made destroy_hist_field() return early for HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF, since var refs are freed by walking the trigger's var_refs[] array instead. create_var_ref() adds the field to that array only after init_var_ref() has succeeded, so on this path the field is in neither place and nothing frees it. The call was correct when it was written, before var refs were taken out of destroy_hist_field(). init_var_ref() cannot free it either. The caller owns the field, so init_var_ref() undoes only its own string allocations and leaves the field alone. Freeing it there would leave create_var_ref() passing freed memory to destroy_hist_field(), which reads its flags. Call __destroy_hist_field(), which frees the field without consulting the flag.
Quoted source text, attributed separately from HOL analysis.