Bug 2521502 (CVE-2026-74636)

Summary: CVE-2026-74636 kernel: tracing: Fix race between update_event_fields and, event_define_fields
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: OSIDB Bzimport <bzimport>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Product Security DevOps Team <prodsec-dev>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: low Docs Contact:
Priority: low    
Version: unspecifiedCC: rhel-process-autobot, watson-tool-maintainers
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Security
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Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
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Doc Text:
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel. A race condition exists between the `update_event_fields` and `event_define_fields` functions within the tracing subsystem. A local user, by loading specific modules, could exploit this unprotected access to kernel fields. This could lead to a kernel panic, resulting in a denial of service.
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oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
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Description OSIDB Bzimport 2026-08-22 15:48:41 UTC
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

tracing: Fix race between update_event_fields and, event_define_fields

The following sequence may leads race between event_define_fields()
and update_event_fields():

 CPU0 (loads module A)                      CPU1 (loads module B)
 ===============================            ===============================
 load_module(A)                             load_module(B)
   notifier_call_chain                        notifier_call_chain
     trace_module_notify                        trace_module_notify
       mutex_lock(&event_mutex)                   trace_event_update_all()
         trace_module_add_events(A)                 down_write(&trace_event_sem)
            __register_event(call_A)
              __add_event_to_tracers(call_A)
                event_define_fields(call_A)
                  for each f:                         list_for_each_entry(field,
                    list_add(&f->link,                                    &class->fields, link)
                             &class->fields)            field = class->fields->next;

Where access to the class->fields is not protected by the event_mutex in
trace_event_update_all().

This produces the following panic:
   Unable to handle kernel access ... at virtual address 0000000000000018
   pc : update_event_fields+0xf8/0x368
   Call trace:
    update_event_fields+0xf8/0x368
    trace_event_update_all+0x7c/0x2b4
    trace_module_notify+0x4c/0x1dc
    notifier_call_chain+0x84/0x168
    blocking_notifier_call_chain_robust+0x64/0xd4
    load_module+0x10c8/0x123c
    __arm64_sys_finit_module+0x230/0x31c

Fix by taking event_mutex in trace_event_update_all() before
trace_event_sem.