# CVE-2026-97921: tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier CVE-2026-97921 is fixed in 37 products on 1 platform, first by DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97921, released September 29, 2026. It is not reported as exploited. Patch Radar priority: Routine. - Web page: https://patchblox.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-97921 - Priority: Routine - CVSS: 5.5 (Moderate) - EPSS: 0.0021 - CISA KEV: not listed - Exploited (vendor report): no - Publicly disclosed: no - Published: Sep 25, 2026 - Vendor advisory: https://msrc.microsoft.com/update-guide/vulnerability/CVE-2026-97921 ## Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Free histogram the field rejected for a bad modifier Writing a hist trigger whose value or variable carries a modifier that is not allowed there leaks the fields that were built for it. __create_val_field() takes the field from parse_expr() and stores it in hist_data->fields[] only after the modifier checks have run: hist_field = parse_expr(hist_data, file, field_str, flags, var_name, &n_subexprs); ... if (hist_field->flags & HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR) { if (hist_field->flags & (...)) goto err; } else { if (hist_field->flags & (...)) goto err; } hist_data->fields[val_idx] = hist_field; Both checks jump past that store, and the err label returns without freeing anything. The error unwinds to create_hist_data(), which calls destroy_hist_data() -> destroy_hist_fields(), and that reaches a field only by walking fields[]. A field that never got there is unreachable. commit e0213434fe3e ("tracing: Do not let histogram values have some modifiers") set ret to -EINVAL and fell through to the store, which left the field owned by fields[] and freed along with the rest of hist_data. Splitting the check into a value case and a variable case replaced that fall-through with a goto that skips it. With CONFIG_DEBUG_KMEMLEAK, 200 writes of # echo 'hist:keys=prev_pid:vals=next_pid.log2' > \ events/sched/sched_switch/trigger each correctly rejected with -EINVAL, leave 332 unreferenced objects (63744 bytes) reported at create_hist_field(); 200 install and remove cycles of a valid trigger leave none. A '.log2' field is two allocations, since create_hist_field() puts the plain field in operands[0] of the log2 field, and both are reported. Use destroy_hist_field() rather than __destroy_hist_field() so that operands[0] is freed as well. It returns early for HIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF, which is what an operand owned by hist_data->var_refs[] needs; the rejected field itself is never a var ref, because a var ref never carries a modifier flag. ## Where it's fixed | Platform | Product | Fixed in | Fix | Released | |---|---|---|---|---| | Linux | kernel-uek ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-core ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-core ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-core ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-core ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-devel ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-devel ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-core ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-core ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-deprecated ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-deprecated ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-desktop ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-desktop ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-extra ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-extra ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-extra-netfilter ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-extra-netfilter ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-usb ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-usb ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-wireless ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-debug-modules-wireless ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-devel ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-devel ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-doc ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-doc ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-core ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-core ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-deprecated ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-deprecated ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-desktop ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-desktop ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-extra ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-extra ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-extra-netfilter ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-extra-netfilter ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-usb ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-usb ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-wireless ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-modules-wireless ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-tools ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek-tools ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-core ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-core ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-devel ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-devel ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-core ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-core ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-deprecated ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-deprecated ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-desktop ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-desktop ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-extra ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-extra ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-extra-netfilter ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-extra-netfilter ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-usb ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-usb ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-wireless ol 10 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | kernel-uek64k-modules-wireless ol 9 | 0:6.12.0-207.111.5.1.el9uek | [ELSA-2026-500374](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/elsa-2026-500374.md) | Oct 7, 2026 | | Linux | linux Debian 12.15 (bookworm) | 6.1.190-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97921](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-97921.md) | Sep 29, 2026 | | Linux | linux Debian 13.5 (trixie) | 6.12.111-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97921](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-97921.md) | Sep 29, 2026 | | Linux | linux Debian 14 | 7.2.7-1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97921](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-97921.md) | Sep 29, 2026 | | Linux | linux-6.12 Debian 12.15 (bookworm) | 6.12.111-1~deb12u1 | [DEBIAN-CVE-2026-97921](https://patchblox.com/security/data/fix/linux/debian-cve-2026-97921.md) | Sep 29, 2026 | --- Data as of 2026-11-09T19:38:12Z UTC. 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