Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing: Keep the entry count when the histogram stats allocation fails

print_entries() uses n_entries both as the number of sort entries and as
its own return value, so the -ENOMEM it stores when the stats allocation
fails overwrites the count that the cleanup still needs:

n_entries = tracing_map_sort_entries(map, ...);
if (n_entries < 0)
return n_entries;
...
if (!stats) {
n_entries = -ENOMEM;
goto out;
}
...
out:
tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries(sort_entries, n_entries);

tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries() takes an unsigned int and loops up to
it, so -ENOMEM arrives as 4294967284. It walks an array of at most
map->max_elts pointers and calls destroy_sort_entry(), which dereferences
and frees, on whatever lies past the end.

Reading the hist file of a trigger with a .percent value, with that
allocation forced to fail:

BUG: KASAN: vmalloc-out-of-bounds in tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries+0xa0/0xb0
Read of size 8 at addr ffffc90000045000 by task init/1
tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries+0xa0/0xb0
hist_show+0x6f7/0x1df0
seq_read_iter+0x2b8/0x1190
vfs_read+0x176/0xa40
The buggy address belongs to a 4-page vmalloc region starting at
ffffc90000041000 allocated at tracing_map_sort_entries+0x5c/0xd50

A few pages further the fault is fatal. The registers at the oops confirm
the bound: the loop's end pointer less the array start, over the pointer
size, is 4294967284.

Return the error in a separate variable and leave n_entries holding the
count, the way tracing_map_sort_entries() does on its own error path.

The stats block is only entered for a value carrying .percent or .graph,
which __create_val_field() has rejected since v6.3, so this cannot be
reached in mainline as it stands. It becomes reachable again with
"tracing: hist: let values keep the percent and graph modifiers", so it
should be applied first.
Published: 2026-09-25
Score: n/a
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
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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: Keep the entry count when the histogram stats allocation fails print_entries() uses n_entries both as the number of sort entries and as its own return value, so the -ENOMEM it stores when the stats allocation fails overwrites the count that the cleanup still needs: n_entries = tracing_map_sort_entries(map, ...); if (n_entries < 0) return n_entries; ... if (!stats) { n_entries = -ENOMEM; goto out; } ... out: tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries(sort_entries, n_entries); tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries() takes an unsigned int and loops up to it, so -ENOMEM arrives as 4294967284. It walks an array of at most map->max_elts pointers and calls destroy_sort_entry(), which dereferences and frees, on whatever lies past the end. Reading the hist file of a trigger with a .percent value, with that allocation forced to fail: BUG: KASAN: vmalloc-out-of-bounds in tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries+0xa0/0xb0 Read of size 8 at addr ffffc90000045000 by task init/1 tracing_map_destroy_sort_entries+0xa0/0xb0 hist_show+0x6f7/0x1df0 seq_read_iter+0x2b8/0x1190 vfs_read+0x176/0xa40 The buggy address belongs to a 4-page vmalloc region starting at ffffc90000041000 allocated at tracing_map_sort_entries+0x5c/0xd50 A few pages further the fault is fatal. The registers at the oops confirm the bound: the loop's end pointer less the array start, over the pointer size, is 4294967284. Return the error in a separate variable and leave n_entries holding the count, the way tracing_map_sort_entries() does on its own error path. The stats block is only entered for a value carrying .percent or .graph, which __create_val_field() has rejected since v6.3, so this cannot be reached in mainline as it stands. It becomes reachable again with "tracing: hist: let values keep the percent and graph modifiers", so it should be applied first.
Title tracing: Keep the entry count when the histogram stats allocation fails
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

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Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-25T10:22:40.431Z

Reserved: 2026-09-25T10:18:58.202Z

Link: CVE-2026-97920

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-25T11:17:19.037

Modified: 2026-09-25T11:17:19.037

Link: CVE-2026-97920

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.