CVE-2026-90002: Linux Vulnerability (CVSS 7.8)

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ftrace: Take trace_array reference before accessing its ftrace_ops The trace instance files set_ftrace_filter and set_ftrace_notrace was updated to work with specific trace instances (trace_arrays). The issue is that when these files are opened, there is a small race window where it will use the ftrace_ops from the inode->private pointer to get a reference to the trace_array and then take its reference. The problem is that the ftrace_ops itself could be freed. If the rmdir on the instance happens at the same time the set_ftrace_filter file is opened, the rmdir could have also freed the ftrace_ops and referencing it will cause a use-after-free bug and crash the kernel. Instead, pass in the trace_array as the file private data (NULL for the top level instance), and then pass both the trace_array and the ftrace_ops to the ftrace_regex_open() function. If the trace_array is NULL, then it just uses the ftrace_ops without the need to take its reference (like normal). If the ftrace_ops is NULL, that is only the case for the top level instance and the global_ops can be used. This allows the trace_array to have its reference incremented before touching the ftrace_ops that could also be freed when the instance is.

Metrics

CVSS 3.1

7.8/10

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H

Affected Software

Source: CNA advisory (CVE.org). NVD analysis pending.

Vendor	Product	Versions
Linux	Linux	>= 591dffdade9f07692a7dd3ed16830ec24e901ece, < 83fd7eca5ab0d3ac3f23bff889175d847e21af06; >= 591dffdade9f07692a7dd3ed16830ec24e901ece, < cee8f286794df916553d8d445eac5c323ec5b0f8; >= 591dffdade9f07692a7dd3ed16830ec24e901ece, < 9100191e5acb2e5ea2313f436667bb5fce129f47
Linux	Linux	3.15

References

Timeline

Published: Sep 16, 2026
Last Modified: Sep 16, 2026
Status: Received

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2026-90002?

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ftrace: Take trace_array reference before accessing its ftrace_ops The trace instance files set_ftrace_filter and set_ftrace_notrace was updated to work with specific trace instances (trace_arrays). The issue is that when these files are opened, there is a small race window where it will use the ftrace_ops from the inode->private pointer to get a reference to the trace_array and then take its reference. The problem is that the ftrace_ops itself could be freed. If the rmdir on the instance happens at the same time the set_ftrace_filter file is opened, the rmdir could have also freed the ftrace_ops and referencing it will cause a use-after-free bug and crash the kernel. Instead, pass in the trace_array as the file private data (NULL for the top level instance), and then pass both the trace_array and the ftrace_ops to the ftrace_regex_open() function. If the trace_array is NULL, then it just uses the ftrace_ops without the need to take its reference (like normal). If the ftrace_ops is NULL, that is only the case for the top level instance and the global_ops can be used. This allows the trace_array to have its reference incremented before touching the ftrace_ops that could also be freed when the instance is.

How severe is CVE-2026-90002?

CVE-2026-90002 has a CVSS score of 7.8/10 (HIGH severity).

How do I fix CVE-2026-90002?

Check the vendor references and advisories linked above for patched versions and mitigation guidance. You can also run a Strix scan to test if your systems are affected.

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