# CVE-2026-97919: tracing: Take the reference before publishing the named histogram trigger

> A use-after-free in the Linux kernel tracing subsystem allows local attackers with high privileges to execute arbitrary code or escalate privileges.

- **Severity:** Not scored
- **Exploited in the wild:** Not known
- **Login needed:** An administrator
- **Attackable:** Local or same network only
- **Victim action needed:** Not needed
- **Fix available:** Yes
- **Published:** 25 Sep 2026
- **Updated:** 21 Oct 2026
- **Also known as:** AZL-104870, BELL-CVE-2026-97919, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97919, GHSA-6vf7-pxhp-xpjv, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97919

## What is CVE-2026-97919?

CVE-2026-97919 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 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: Take the reference before publishing the named histogram trigger

event_hist_trigger_named_init() puts the trigger on the global
named_triggers list and only then takes the reference on the trigger it
shares its histogram with:

	data->ref++;

	save_named_trigger(data->named_data->name, data);

	ret = event_hist_trigger_init(data->named_data);
	if (ret < 0) {
		kfree(data->cmd_ops);
		data->cmd_ops = &trigger_hist_cmd;
	}

	return ret;

event_hist_trigger_init() fails when alloc_hist_pad() cannot allocate, and
nothing takes the trigger back off the list on the way out.
event_hist_trigger_parse() frees it, and the next lookup by name reads the
freed object:

 BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in find_named_trigger+0xac/0xc0
 Read of size 8 at addr ffff888009346860 by task init/1
  find_named_trigger+0xac/0xc0
  hist_register_trigger+0xc1/0xa00
  event_hist_trigger_parse+0x3146/0x6af0
  event_trigger_write+0xce/0x160
 Freed by task 67:
  kfree+0x154/0x420
  trigger_kthread_fn+0xfd/0x160

Do the reference first and publish once it has succeeded, so that nothing
which can fail runs after the trigger becomes findable.

## Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97919?


## How do I fix CVE-2026-97919?

Apply the vendor's patch.

## Is CVE-2026-97919 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97919 in the wild and no public exploit code.

## Fix prompt for AI coding agents

```text
Check this codebase for CVE-2026-97919 and fix it if it is affected.

What it is: CVE-2026-97919 is an use after free vulnerability in Linux, published on 25 Sep 2026. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.
Exploitation: There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97919 in the wild and no public exploit code.

Affected product: Linux. No package-level version data is available, so check the vendor advisory linked from the reference page.

Task:
1. Search the dependency manifests and lockfiles (for example package.json, package-lock.json, requirements.txt, poetry.lock, uv.lock, pom.xml, build.gradle, go.mod, Cargo.lock, Gemfile.lock) and any Dockerfiles for the affected packages, including transitive dependencies.
2. If an affected version is in use, upgrade it to the fixed version for its release line with the project's package manager, so the lockfile is regenerated. Prefer the smallest upgrade that fixes it.
3. If there is no fix, or the upgrade would break the build, do not guess: explain the risk and the safest workaround instead.
4. Run the tests and summarise what changed and why.
5. If nothing in the project is affected, say so and change nothing.

Reference: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97919/ (Markdown: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97919/index.md)
```

## Sources

- CVE record: https://www.cve.org/CVERecord?id=CVE-2026-97919
- NVD: https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97919
- OSV: https://osv.dev/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97919

---
From sbomify Insights: https://insights.sbomify.com/CVE-2026-97919/
Summaries are generated and may contain mistakes; the official description above is the record.