[PATCH v3] tracing/probes: Fix use-after-free on field name/type of multi-probe events
From: Henry Martin
Date: Tue Aug 25 2026 - 07:12:25 EST
The fields of a probe-based dynamic event (kprobe, uprobe, eprobe and
fprobe events) are created in traceprobe_define_arg_fields() by handing
the probe_arg name/type strings to trace_define_field(), which only
stores the pointers without copying. Those strings are owned by the
trace_probe and are freed when that probe is removed.
An event can hold several probes ("multi-probe per event", added by the
Fixes: commit below). The field list is defined only once, by the first
probe that registers the event, but it is kept alive by any surviving
sibling probe. Deleting just that first probe by symbol -
# primary A: fields are defined from A's args
echo 'p:kprobes/ev vfs_read a1=$arg1' > kprobe_events
# append B: shares A's event call
echo 'p:kprobes/ev vfs_write a1=$arg1' >> kprobe_events
# delete only A (matched by symbol), B survives
echo '-:kprobes/ev vfs_read' >> kprobe_events
frees A's args (trace_probe_cleanup() -> traceprobe_free_probe_arg()),
but trace_probe_unlink() keeps the trace_probe_event because the probe
list is not empty. The event call stays registered via B while its
fields now reference freed memory. Any field lookup then reads it, e.g.
echo 'a1 == 1' > events/kprobes/ev/filter
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in strcmp+0xa7/0xb0
Call Trace:
strcmp
trace_find_event_field
parse_pred
process_preds
create_filter
apply_event_filter
event_filter_write
field->name references parg->name (kstrdup'd, freed with the probe) and,
for array arguments, field->type references parg->fmt (kmalloc'd, freed
with the probe) - the scalar type otherwise points at the static
fmttype rodata, which is safe.
Fix it in the probe layer, which is where the borrowing happens, so that
trace_define_field() and static trace events are left untouched. Make
traceprobe_define_arg_fields() duplicate the name and type strings and
have the trace_probe_event - which embeds the event call and outlives
every individual probe - own the copies, releasing them in
trace_probe_event_free().
The reproducer above triggers reliably; the field lookup and the delete
both run under event_mutex, so this is a dangling reference after
removal rather than a race.
The issue was found by the autokbug dynamic kernel fuzzer at Tencent
Yunding Lab.
Fixes: ca89bc071d5e4 ("tracing/kprobe: Add multi-probe per event support")
Signed-off-by: Henry Martin <bsdhenrymartin@xxxxxxxxx>
---
v3:
- Steve: wrong fix / wrong file. Move the fix out of trace_events.c
into the probe layer (traceprobe_define_arg_fields() /
trace_probe_event_free()) so trace_define_field() and static events
are untouched. Ownership now lives on trace_probe_event, whose
lifetime matches the event call and its field list.
- Clarify in the changelog that this is kprobe multi-probe-per-event
(append_trace_kprobe), not eprobes, and add a shell reproducer.
v2:
- Reworded the module-rodata note (dropped, superseded by v3).
kernel/trace/trace_probe.c | 36 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++-
kernel/trace/trace_probe.h | 2 ++
2 files changed, 37 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_probe.c b/kernel/trace/trace_probe.c
index c4163904ba747..26a9fb3533bde 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_probe.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_probe.c
@@ -2552,19 +2552,48 @@ int traceprobe_set_print_fmt(struct trace_probe *tp, enum probe_print_type ptype
int traceprobe_define_arg_fields(struct trace_event_call *event_call,
size_t offset, struct trace_probe *tp)
{
+ struct trace_probe_event *tpe = trace_probe_event_from_call(event_call);
int ret, i;
+ /*
+ * A field created by trace_define_field() only stores the name and
+ * type pointers, it does not copy the strings. Here they point into
+ * the probe_arg of @tp, which is freed when @tp is removed. For a
+ * multi-probe event the field list is defined once by the first probe
+ * but kept alive by the surviving siblings, so removing that first
+ * probe would leave the fields referencing freed memory. Make the
+ * event own duplicates that live as long as the event call itself.
+ */
+ if (tp->nr_args) {
+ tpe->field_strings = kcalloc(tp->nr_args * 2, sizeof(char *),
+ GFP_KERNEL);
+ if (!tpe->field_strings)
+ return -ENOMEM;
+ }
+
/* Set argument names as fields */
for (i = 0; i < tp->nr_args; i++) {
struct probe_arg *parg = &tp->args[i];
const char *fmt = parg->type->fmttype;
int size = parg->type->size;
+ char *name, *type;
if (parg->fmt)
fmt = parg->fmt;
if (parg->count)
size *= parg->count;
- ret = trace_define_field(event_call, fmt, parg->name,
+
+ name = kstrdup(parg->name, GFP_KERNEL);
+ type = kstrdup(fmt, GFP_KERNEL);
+ if (!name || !type) {
+ kfree(name);
+ kfree(type);
+ return -ENOMEM;
+ }
+ tpe->field_strings[tpe->nr_field_strings++] = name;
+ tpe->field_strings[tpe->nr_field_strings++] = type;
+
+ ret = trace_define_field(event_call, type, name,
offset + parg->offset, size,
parg->type->is_signed,
FILTER_OTHER);
@@ -2576,6 +2605,11 @@ int traceprobe_define_arg_fields(struct trace_event_call *event_call,
static void trace_probe_event_free(struct trace_probe_event *tpe)
{
+ int i;
+
+ for (i = 0; i < tpe->nr_field_strings; i++)
+ kfree(tpe->field_strings[i]);
+ kfree(tpe->field_strings);
kfree(tpe->class.system);
kfree(tpe->call.name);
kfree(tpe->call.print_fmt);
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h b/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h
index fba1af092a9bd..d1fb3520700fb 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h
@@ -264,6 +264,8 @@ struct trace_probe_event {
struct trace_event_call call;
struct list_head files;
struct list_head probes;
+ char **field_strings;
+ int nr_field_strings;
struct trace_uprobe_filter filter[];
};
--
2.43.0