{
  "affected": [
    {
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "656fe2ba85e81d00e4447bf77b8da2be3c47acb2"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "74375caa20fe5165807b4334c783d1790b01f02a"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "222abcbe7866fef04563b6eb89fb21f627dcbc77"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "a69baeac38677270656e85753d93856a076dee57"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "516001d53e6b2ea95a251ee2ef54a1a689a3fd58"
            }
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "type": "GIT"
        },
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "0"
            },
            {
              "last_affected": "836717841a30d7845cdf9cb806ee0ff3bfa7135a"
            }
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "type": "GIT"
        },
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "4.19.100"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "4.20"
            }
          ],
          "repo": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git",
          "type": "GIT"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "package": {
        "ecosystem": "Linux",
        "name": "Kernel"
      },
      "ranges": [
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "5.0.0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "6.12.111"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        },
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "6.13.0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "6.18.53"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        },
        {
          "events": [
            {
              "introduced": "6.19.0"
            },
            {
              "fixed": "7.2.7"
            }
          ],
          "type": "ECOSYSTEM"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "database_specific": {
    "cna_assigner": "Linux",
    "osv_generated_from": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/97xxx/CVE-2026-97923.json"
  },
  "details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\ntracing: Free histogram the var ref when its initialization fails\n\ncreate_var_ref() allocates a VAR_REF hist_field and then calls\ninit_var_ref() to fill it in. When that fails the field is leaked.\n\ncommit 656fe2ba85e8 (\"tracing: Use hist trigger's var_ref array to destroy\nvar_refs\") made destroy_hist_field() return early for\nHIST_FIELD_FL_VAR_REF, since var refs are freed by walking the trigger's\nvar_refs[] array instead. create_var_ref() adds the field to that array\nonly after init_var_ref() has succeeded, so on this path the field is in\nneither place and nothing frees it. The call was correct when it was\nwritten, before var refs were taken out of destroy_hist_field().\n\ninit_var_ref() cannot free it either. The caller owns the field, so\ninit_var_ref() undoes only its own string allocations and leaves the\nfield alone. Freeing it there would leave create_var_ref() passing freed\nmemory to destroy_hist_field(), which reads its flags.\n\nCall __destroy_hist_field(), which frees the field without consulting\nthe flag.",
  "id": "CVE-2026-97923",
  "modified": "2026-09-27T03:30:28.788790799Z",
  "published": "2026-09-25T10:22:42.300Z",
  "references": [
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/222abcbe7866fef04563b6eb89fb21f627dcbc77"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/516001d53e6b2ea95a251ee2ef54a1a689a3fd58"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/74375caa20fe5165807b4334c783d1790b01f02a"
    },
    {
      "type": "WEB",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a69baeac38677270656e85753d93856a076dee57"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://github.com/CVEProject/cvelistV5/tree/main/cves/2026/97xxx/CVE-2026-97923.json"
    },
    {
      "type": "ADVISORY",
      "url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2026-97923"
    },
    {
      "type": "PACKAGE",
      "url": "https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/stable/linux.git"
    }
  ],
  "schema_version": "1.9.0",
  "summary": "tracing: Free histogram the var ref when its initialization fails"
}