CVE-2022-49648

tracing/histograms: Fix memory leak problem

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Published Feb 26, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing/histograms: Fix memory leak problem

This reverts commit 46bbe5c671e06f070428b9be142cc4ee5cedebac.

As commit 46bbe5c671e0 ("tracing: fix double free") said, the
"double free" problem reported by clang static analyzer is:
> In parse_var_defs() if there is a problem allocating
> var_defs.expr, the earlier var_defs.name is freed.
> This free is duplicated by free_var_defs() which frees
> the rest of the list.

However, if there is a problem allocating N-th var_defs.expr:
+ in parse_var_defs(), the freed 'earlier var_defs.name' is
actually the N-th var_defs.name;
+ then in free_var_defs(), the names from 0th to (N-1)-th are freed;

IF ALLOCATING PROBLEM HAPPENED HERE!!! -+
\
|
0th 1th (N-1)-th N-th V
+-------------+-------------+-----+-------------+-----------
var_defs: | name | expr | name | expr | ... | name | expr | name | ///
+-------------+-------------+-----+-------------+-----------

These two frees don't act on same name, so there was no "double free"
problem before. Conversely, after that commit, we get a "memory leak"
problem because the above "N-th var_defs.name" is not freed.

If enable CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK and inject a fault at where the N-th
var_defs.expr allocated, then execute on shell like:
$ echo 'hist:key=call_site:val=$v1,$v2:v1=bytes_req,v2=bytes_alloc' > \
/sys/kernel/debug/tracing/events/kmem/kmalloc/trigger

Then kmemleak reports:
unreferenced object 0xffff8fb100ef3518 (size 8):
comm "bash", pid 196, jiffies 4295681690 (age 28.538s)
hex dump (first 8 bytes):
76 31 00 00 b1 8f ff ff v1......
backtrace:
[<0000000038fe4895>] kstrdup+0x2d/0x60
[<00000000c99c049a>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x206f/0x20e0
[<00000000ae70d2cc>] trigger_process_regex+0xc0/0x110
[<0000000066737a4c>] event_trigger_write+0x75/0xd0
[<000000007341e40c>] vfs_write+0xbb/0x2a0
[<0000000087fde4c2>] ksys_write+0x59/0xd0
[<00000000581e9cdf>] do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x80
[<00000000cf3b065c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0

Analysis

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Remediation

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Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2022-54584 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/histograms: Fix memory leak problem This reverts commit 46bbe5c671e06f070428b9be142cc4ee5cedebac. As commit 46bbe5c671e0 ("tracing: fix double free") said, the "double free" problem reported by clang static analyzer is: > In parse_var_defs() if there is a problem allocating > var_defs.expr, the earlier var_defs.name is freed. > This free is duplicated by free_var_defs() which frees > the rest of the list. However, if there is a problem allocating N-th var_defs.expr: + in parse_var_defs(), the freed 'earlier var_defs.name' is actually the N-th var_defs.name; + then in free_var_defs(), the names from 0th to (N-1)-th are freed; IF ALLOCATING PROBLEM HAPPENED HERE!!! -+ \ | 0th 1th (N-1)-th N-th V +-------------+-------------+-----+-------------+----------- var_defs: | name | expr | name | expr | ... | name | expr | name | /// +-------------+-------------+-----+-------------+----------- These two frees don't act on same name, so there was no "double free" problem before. Conversely, after that commit, we get a "memory leak" problem because the above "N-th var_defs.name" is not freed. If enable CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK and inject a fault at where the N-th var_defs.expr allocated, then execute on shell like: $ echo 'hist:key=call_site:val=$v1,$v2:v1=bytes_req,v2=bytes_alloc' > \ /sys/kernel/debug/tracing/events/kmem/kmalloc/trigger Then kmemleak reports: unreferenced object 0xffff8fb100ef3518 (size 8): comm "bash", pid 196, jiffies 4295681690 (age 28.538s) hex dump (first 8 bytes): 76 31 00 00 b1 8f ff ff v1...... backtrace: [<0000000038fe4895>] kstrdup+0x2d/0x60 [<00000000c99c049a>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x206f/0x20e0 [<00000000ae70d2cc>] trigger_process_regex+0xc0/0x110 [<0000000066737a4c>] event_trigger_write+0x75/0xd0 [<000000007341e40c>] vfs_write+0xbb/0x2a0 [<0000000087fde4c2>] ksys_write+0x59/0xd0 [<00000000581e9cdf>] do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x80 [<00000000cf3b065c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics threat_severity

Moderate

 threat_severity

Low
Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Weaknesses CWE-401
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.19:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.19:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.19:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.19:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.19:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.19:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

 cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate
Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/histograms: Fix memory leak problem This reverts commit 46bbe5c671e06f070428b9be142cc4ee5cedebac. As commit 46bbe5c671e0 ("tracing: fix double free") said, the "double free" problem reported by clang static analyzer is: > In parse_var_defs() if there is a problem allocating > var_defs.expr, the earlier var_defs.name is freed. > This free is duplicated by free_var_defs() which frees > the rest of the list. However, if there is a problem allocating N-th var_defs.expr: + in parse_var_defs(), the freed 'earlier var_defs.name' is actually the N-th var_defs.name; + then in free_var_defs(), the names from 0th to (N-1)-th are freed; IF ALLOCATING PROBLEM HAPPENED HERE!!! -+ \ | 0th 1th (N-1)-th N-th V +-------------+-------------+-----+-------------+----------- var_defs: | name | expr | name | expr | ... | name | expr | name | /// +-------------+-------------+-----+-------------+----------- These two frees don't act on same name, so there was no "double free" problem before. Conversely, after that commit, we get a "memory leak" problem because the above "N-th var_defs.name" is not freed. If enable CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK and inject a fault at where the N-th var_defs.expr allocated, then execute on shell like: $ echo 'hist:key=call_site:val=$v1,$v2:v1=bytes_req,v2=bytes_alloc' > \ /sys/kernel/debug/tracing/events/kmem/kmalloc/trigger Then kmemleak reports: unreferenced object 0xffff8fb100ef3518 (size 8): comm "bash", pid 196, jiffies 4295681690 (age 28.538s) hex dump (first 8 bytes): 76 31 00 00 b1 8f ff ff v1...... backtrace: [<0000000038fe4895>] kstrdup+0x2d/0x60 [<00000000c99c049a>] event_hist_trigger_parse+0x206f/0x20e0 [<00000000ae70d2cc>] trigger_process_regex+0xc0/0x110 [<0000000066737a4c>] event_trigger_write+0x75/0xd0 [<000000007341e40c>] vfs_write+0xbb/0x2a0 [<0000000087fde4c2>] ksys_write+0x59/0xd0 [<00000000581e9cdf>] do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x80 [<00000000cf3b065c>] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0xb0
Title tracing/histograms: Fix memory leak problem
References
Weaknesses
  • CWE-401

    Missing Release of Memory after Effective Lifetime

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
May 23, 2026, 3:22 PM
Reserved
Feb 26, 2025, 2:21 AM

View source JSON

Updated
Oct 1, 2025, 4:52 PM

JSON

Status
Modified
Published
Feb 26, 2025, 7:01 AM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 5:18 AM

View source JSON

Severity
Low
Public date
Feb 26, 2025, 12:00 AM

View source Bugzilla JSON

No data.