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Unrated severityNVD Advisory· Published Apr 3, 2024· Updated May 4, 2025

bpf: Fix racing between bpf_timer_cancel_and_free and bpf_timer_cancel

CVE-2024-26737

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

bpf: Fix racing between bpf_timer_cancel_and_free and bpf_timer_cancel

The following race is possible between bpf_timer_cancel_and_free and bpf_timer_cancel. It will lead a UAF on the timer->timer.

bpf_timer_cancel(); spin_lock(); t = timer->time; spin_unlock();

bpf_timer_cancel_and_free(); spin_lock(); t = timer->timer; timer->timer = NULL; spin_unlock(); hrtimer_cancel(&t->timer); kfree(t);

/* UAF on t */ hrtimer_cancel(&t->timer);

In bpf_timer_cancel_and_free, this patch frees the timer->timer after a rcu grace period. This requires a rcu_head addition to the "struct bpf_hrtimer". Another kfree(t) happens in bpf_timer_init, this does not need a kfree_rcu because it is still under the spin_lock and timer->timer has not been visible by others yet.

In bpf_timer_cancel, rcu_read_lock() is added because this helper can be used in a non rcu critical section context (e.g. from a sleepable bpf prog). Other timer->timer usages in helpers.c have been audited, bpf_timer_cancel() is the only place where timer->timer is used outside of the spin_lock.

Another solution considered is to mark a t->flag in bpf_timer_cancel and clear it after hrtimer_cancel() is done. In bpf_timer_cancel_and_free, it busy waits for the flag to be cleared before kfree(t). This patch goes with a straight forward solution and frees timer->timer after a rcu grace period.

Affected products

153

Patches

0

No patches discovered yet.

Vulnerability mechanics

AI mechanics synthesis has not run for this CVE yet.

References

5

News mentions

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