CVE-2026-97937: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ftrace: fork: Initialize function graph state before copy_exec_state() dup_task

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ftrace: fork: Initialize function graph state before copy_exec_state() dup_task_struct() c

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ftrace: fork: Initialize function graph state before copy_exec_state() dup_task_struct() copies the parent's task_struct, including ret_stack. ftrace_graph_init_task() clears the copied function graph state, but it currently runs after copy_exec_state(). For non-CLONE_VM forks, copy_exec_state() allocates a new task_exec_state. If that allocation fails, copy_process() reaches bad_fork_free and free_task() calls ftrace_graph_exit_task(). Since the child still carries the parent's ret_stack pointer, the unwind frees the parent's active function graph return stack. The parent subsequently accesses freed memory from function_graph_enter_regs(). KASAN reports: [ 22.190920] ================================================================== [ 22.195899] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in function_graph_enter_regs+0xa76/0xb90 [ 22.200747] Write of size 8 at addr ff110000054dc0a8 by task repro/1 [ 22.205134] [ 22.210770] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 1 Comm: repro Not tainted 7.2.0-07732-g9328b3b03bdc-dirty #3 PREEMPT(lazy) [ 22.212576] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2

Description from the National Vulnerability Database, published by 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67

What it means for a small business

Linux is on the computers, phones or browsers your team uses every day. Turn on automatic updates and restart: most of these fixes only take effect after a restart.

How likely is an attack? The Exploit Prediction Scoring System, run by FIRST (the global association of security response teams), puts the odds of this one being exploited in the next 30 days at 0.15%, higher than 4% of CVEs. That’s low, but low isn’t zero, and the odds jump the day someone publishes an exploit. Scored October 29, 2026, updated daily.

Check your own setup

Website check: reads what your site runs from the outside (WordPress version, plugins it can see, old server software) and matches it against this database.
Server check: what your web server says about itself, and whether that version has known flaws.

Sources

Part of the Huttenlocher Technologies vulnerability database, refreshed twice a day from CISA and the NVD. The title, category and plain-language guidance are ours; check the linked record before acting on a detail. This is general guidance, not a review of your systems.

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