Race condition frees tracing data twice in Linux kernel
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- High · High · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CNA. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
Linux kernel versions from 6.16 are affected. The tracing subsystem resets last boot data without holding trace_types_lock, so two readers can free the same module delta twice and a module notifier can change it while it is being freed. A local user with low privileges can trigger this to corrupt memory, with high impact to confidentiality, integrity and availability.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
Description from the CNA
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Hold trace_types_lock when resetting last boot data from readers update_last_data_if_empty() is called from tracing_open() with O_TRUNC, tracing_read_pipe() and tracing_buffers_read() without trace_types_lock. Two readers can both pass the LAST_BOOT test and free module_delta twice, and a module notifier can update module_delta while it is being freed. Take trace_types_lock in those paths and keep the callers that already hold it on an unlocked variant.
Why it matters now
SSVC decision points
Not available: CISA has not published SSVC decision points for this record.
Affected products
Remediation
The fixed versions are Linux kernel 6.18.60, 7.2.14, 7.3.1 and 7.4-rc1.
Written with Claude Haiku 5.5 from the sources below · 2026-11-06
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 6.18.60, 7.2.14, 7.3.1, 7.4-rc1
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Important. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 7 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 4
- Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform 5
Timeline
- 2026-11-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2026-99237
- 2026-11-02 Alias added: GHSA-w7jm-33hw-fpp2
- 2026-11-03 Affected versions changed · Red Hat
- 2026-11-03 CVSS score added · Red Hat
- 2026-11-03 Fix available: Linux/Linux@5a6bd62f09147b49b31fd19d4eba122cb5f941a1, Linux/[email protected] · CNA
- 2026-11-03 1 new reference · CNA
- 2026-11-04 Priority changed: MEDIUM → LOW
References
More Linux vulnerabilities
- TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
- TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2021-02452 Incorrect authorization in Ubuntu linux kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
- TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
- TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
Sources
- CVE-2026-99237 · CVE Program
- CVE-2026-99237 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-w7jm-33hw-fpp2 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2026-99237 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
This product uses the NVD API but is not endorsed or certified by the NVD. Sources and licences