CVE-2026-46196
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracepoint: balance regfunc() on func_add() failure in tracepoint_add_func() When a tracepoint goes through the 0 -> 1 transition, tracepoint_add_func() invokes the subsystem's ext->regfunc() before attempting to install the new probe via func_add(). If func_add() then fails (for example, when allocate_probes() cannot allocate a new probe array under memory pressure and returns -ENOMEM), the function returns the error without calling the matching ext->unregfunc(), leaving the side effects of regfunc() behind with no installed probe to justify them. For syscall tracepoints this is particularly unpleasant: syscall_regfunc() bumps sys_tracepoint_refcount and sets SYSCALL_TRACEPOINT on every task. After a leaked failure, the refcount is stuck at a non-zero value with no consumer, and every task continues paying the syscall trace entry/exit overhead until reboot. Other subsystems providing regfunc()/unregfunc() pairs exhibit similarly scoped persistent state. Mirror the existing 1 -> 0 cleanup and call ext->unregfunc() in the func_add() error path, gated on the same condition used there so the unwind is symmetric with the registration.
Affected versions
Linux kernel versions
4.10
and later are affected. Fixed in
6.6.140,
6.12.88,
6.18.30,
7.0.7,
7.1-rc1
and their respective stable series.
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2026-46196 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/247ed8a969f981bfba3112fd4bb441eaa6cef59c
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2c5b8eeea006eb694c81631cd5713d494b80be90
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/342829e042ac00f3d68d442ea92873fb6683f494
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2026-46196?
CVE-2026-46196 is a unscored severity Linux kernel vulnerability . It affects Linux kernel versions from 4.10 onward and has been patched in 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30 and others. CVE-2026-46196 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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Is there a patch available for CVE-2026-46196?
Yes — CVE-2026-46196 has been patched. Fixed versions include 6.6.140, 6.12.88, 6.18.30 and others. If you are running Linux kernel 4.10 or later up to the fix versions, apply the relevant patch for your kernel branch.
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Is CVE-2026-46196 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2026-46196 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.