[for-linus][PATCH 13/20] tracing: Take the reference before publishing the named histogram trigger

From: Steven Rostedt

Date: Fri Sep 11 2026 - 14:19:10 EST


From: Donggeun Yoo <donggeunyoo.kernel@xxxxxxxxx>

event_hist_trigger_named_init() puts the trigger on the global
named_triggers list and only then takes the reference on the trigger it
shares its histogram with:

data->ref++;

save_named_trigger(data->named_data->name, data);

ret = event_hist_trigger_init(data->named_data);
if (ret < 0) {
kfree(data->cmd_ops);
data->cmd_ops = &trigger_hist_cmd;
}

return ret;

event_hist_trigger_init() fails when alloc_hist_pad() cannot allocate, and
nothing takes the trigger back off the list on the way out.
event_hist_trigger_parse() frees it, and the next lookup by name reads the
freed object:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in find_named_trigger+0xac/0xc0
Read of size 8 at addr ffff888009346860 by task init/1
find_named_trigger+0xac/0xc0
hist_register_trigger+0xc1/0xa00
event_hist_trigger_parse+0x3146/0x6af0
event_trigger_write+0xce/0x160
Freed by task 67:
kfree+0x154/0x420
trigger_kthread_fn+0xfd/0x160

Do the reference first and publish once it has succeeded, so that nothing
which can fail runs after the trigger becomes findable.

Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fixes: 7ab0fc61ce73 ("tracing: Move histogram trigger variables from stack to per CPU structure")
Reported-by: Sashiko AI <sashiko-bot@xxxxxxxxxx>
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/linux-trace-kernel/20260907092944.3950E1F00A3D@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/20260907124420.607097-2-donggeunyoo.kernel@xxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Donggeun Yoo <donggeunyoo.kernel@xxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Tom Zanussi <zanussi@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c | 11 ++++++-----
1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
index 1889e310b73c..54c95f9bd0a3 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_hist.c
@@ -6371,17 +6371,18 @@ static int event_hist_trigger_named_init(struct event_trigger_data *data)
{
int ret;

- data->ref++;
-
- save_named_trigger(data->named_data->name, data);
-
ret = event_hist_trigger_init(data->named_data);
if (ret < 0) {
kfree(data->cmd_ops);
data->cmd_ops = &trigger_hist_cmd;
+ return ret;
}

- return ret;
+ data->ref++;
+
+ save_named_trigger(data->named_data->name, data);
+
+ return 0;
}

static void event_hist_trigger_named_free(struct event_trigger_data *data)
--
2.53.0