CVE-2026-90014 tracing: Have show_event_filters/triggers files take trace array ref
A use-after-free vulnerability in the Linux kernel tracing subsystem allows local attackers to cause a system crash by racing file reads with instance removal.
- Exploited in the wild
- Not known
- Login needed
- Any signed-in user
- Attackable
- Local or same network only
- Victim action needed
- Not needed
- Fix
- Available
What is CVE-2026-90014?
CVE-2026-90014 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 16 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Official description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tracing: Have show_event_filters/triggers files take trace array ref
The newly added files show_event_filters and show_event_triggers that show all filters or triggers that are set within the trace array do not take a reference for the trace array it is showing. Without taking a reference, the trace_array may be freed via "rmdir" while a task is reading one of theses files. Those files iterate all the events within an instance (trace_array) and nothing prevents that instance from being freed while its data is being read. This causes a use-after-free crash.
Have the open of both those files take the trace_array reference via the trace_array_get() that prevents the trace_array from being freed while the files are opened.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-90014?
How do I fix CVE-2026-90014?
Apply the vendor's patch.
Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.
Is CVE-2026-90014 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-90014 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as DEBIAN-CVE-2026-90014, GHSA-jcq3-vx22-85xp, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-90014.