CVE-2026-49426: Incorrect audit records for ptrace(2) syscall requests
When auditing a system call executed via ptrace(PTSCREMOTE), the kernel passed the return value of an internal setup function to AUDITSYSCALLEXIT() rather than the actual result of the executed system call. As a result, committed audit records for system calls which returned an error do not reflect the true outcome of the operation. That is, they indicate that the operation succeeded when it in fact failed.
Audit records for system calls executed via ptrace(PTSCREMOTE) may show an incorrect error status. An attacker with the ability to debug a process could use this to produce misleading audit trails, potentially undermining audit-based Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS).
Affected Software
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What level of access does an attacker need to manipulate the audit trail?
The attacker needs the ability to debug a process and execute system calls through ptrace(PT_SC_REMOTE). The issue can then cause audit records to report success for operations that actually failed.
Which audit events should be treated as potentially unreliable?
Committed audit records for system calls executed via ptrace(PT_SC_REMOTE) are affected when the executed system call returns an error. Such records may contain an incorrect error status and indicate success instead.