In the Linux kernel, a bug in the tracing subsystem allows faulty boot‑time trigger registration to leak memory and trigger a NULL pointer dereference, causing an immediate kernel crash. The flaw manifests when a second traceon trigger fails to start its cleanup kthread before the deferred trigger list is drained, leaving orphaned entries that are freed later as a null pointer. The resulting crash disrupts system availability and can be triggered through a modified kernel boot command line.

The vulnerability affects all Linux kernel builds that contain the old tracing implementation prior to the applied patch. All current kernel releases that have not incorporated the fix remain susceptible; the exact affected kernel versions are not enumerated in the data.

No CVSS or EPSS score is reported, and the flaw is not included in the CISA KEV catalog, indicating limited public exploitation data. The exploit requires precise control of the kernel boot command line, so it is effectively a local attack that only succeeds if the attacker can modify boot parameters or influence a compromised machine’s bootloader. The lack of a public exploit suggests a low exploitation probability, but the impact of a kernel crash is severe and warrants remediation.