CVE-2026-97924 tracing/user_events: Don't destroy fields when event removal fails
A local attacker can trigger a use-after-free in the Linux kernel tracing subsystem by failing event removal, potentially causing a crash or privilege escalation.
- 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-2026-97924?
CVE-2026-97924 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/user_events: Don't destroy fields when event removal fails
destroy_user_event() destroys the event's fields before attempting to remove the trace event call. If user_event_set_call_visible() fails, e.g. because the event is still enabled and trace_remove_event_call() returns -EBUSY, the event is left registered with an irreversibly destroyed field list. Any subsequent interaction with the event then operates on an empty field list while it is still fully visible in tracefs.
Move the field destruction after the call removal, and splice the field list back onto the event when the removal fails so the event remains in a consistent state.
Which versions are affected by CVE-2026-97924?
How do I fix CVE-2026-97924?
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-2026-97924 being exploited?
There is no known exploitation of CVE-2026-97924 in the wild and no public exploit code.
Sources
Also known as AZL-104424, BELL-CVE-2026-97924, DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97924, GHSA-jx2m-2c39-9c87, UBUNTU-CVE-2026-97924.