bpf: Fix too early release of tcx_entry
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
bpf: Fix too early release of tcx_entry
Pedro Pinto and later independently also Hyunwoo Kim and Wongi Lee reported an issue that the tcx_entry can be released too early leading to a use after free (UAF) when an active old-style ingress or clsact qdisc with a shared tc block is later replaced by another ingress or clsact instance.
Essentially, the sequence to trigger the UAF (one example) can be as follows:
1. A network namespace is created 2. An ingress qdisc is created. This allocates a tcx_entry, and &tcx_entry->miniq is stored in the qdisc's miniqp->p_miniq. At the same time, a tcf block with index 1 is created. 3. chain0 is attached to the tcf block. chain0 must be connected to the block linked to the ingress qdisc to later reach the function tcf_chain0_head_change_cb_del() which triggers the UAF. 4. Create and graft a clsact qdisc. This causes the ingress qdisc created in step 1 to be removed, thus freeing the previously linked tcx_entry:
rtnetlink_rcv_msg() => tc_modify_qdisc() => qdisc_create() => clsact_init() [a] => qdisc_graft() => qdisc_destroy() => __qdisc_destroy() => ingress_destroy() [b] => tcx_entry_free() => kfree_rcu() // tcx_entry freed
5. Finally, the network namespace is closed. This registers the cleanup_net worker, and during the process of releasing the remaining clsact qdisc, it accesses the tcx_entry that was already freed in step 4, causing the UAF to occur:
cleanup_net() => ops_exit_list() => default_device_exit_batch() => unregister_netdevice_many() => unregister_netdevice_many_notify() => dev_shutdown() => qdisc_put() => clsact_destroy() [c] => tcf_block_put_ext() => tcf_chain0_head_change_cb_del() => tcf_chain_head_change_item() => clsact_chain_head_change() => mini_qdisc_pair_swap() // UAF
There are also other variants, the gist is to add an ingress (or clsact) qdisc with a specific shared block, then to replace that qdisc, waiting for the tcx_entry kfree_rcu() to be executed and subsequently accessing the current active qdisc's miniq one way or another.
The correct fix is to turn the miniq_active boolean into a counter. What can be observed, at step 2 above, the counter transitions from 0->1, at step [a] from 1->2 (in order for the miniq object to remain active during the replacement), then in [b] from 2->1 and finally [c] 1->0 with the eventual release. The reference counter in general ranges from [0,2] and it does not need to be atomic since all access to the counter is protected by the rtnl mutex. With this in place, there is no longer a UAF happening and the tcx_entry is freed at the correct time.
Affected products
50- osv-coords49 versionspkg:rpm/opensuse/dtb-aarch64&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-64kb&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-azure&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-debug&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-default-base&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-default&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-docs&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-kvmsmall&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-obs-build&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-obs-qa&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-rt_debug&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-rt&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-source-azure&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-source&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-source-rt&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-syms-azure&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-syms&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-syms-rt&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/opensuse/kernel-zfcpdump&distro=openSUSE%20Leap%2015.6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-64kb&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-azure&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Public%20Cloud%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default-base&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default-base&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20High%20Availability%20Extension%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Live%20Patching%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Legacy%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Workstation%20Extension%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-default&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-docs&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Development%20Tools%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-kvmsmall&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-livepatch-MICRO-6-0-RT_Update_2&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-livepatch-MICRO-6-0_Update_2&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6-RT_Update_2&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Live%20Patching%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP6_Update_4&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Live%20Patching%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-obs-build&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Development%20Tools%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-rt_debug&distro=SUSE%20Real%20Time%20Module%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-rt&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-rt&distro=SUSE%20Real%20Time%20Module%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-source-azure&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Public%20Cloud%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-source&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-source&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Development%20Tools%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-source&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-source-rt&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Micro%206.0pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-source-rt&distro=SUSE%20Real%20Time%20Module%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-syms-azure&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Public%20Cloud%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-syms&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Development%20Tools%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-syms-rt&distro=SUSE%20Real%20Time%20Module%2015%20SP6pkg:rpm/suse/kernel-zfcpdump&distro=SUSE%20Linux%20Enterprise%20Module%20for%20Basesystem%2015%20SP6
< 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1+ 48 more
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.8.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1.150600.12.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.8.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.8.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.8.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1.150600.12.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-17.1.1.51
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1-1.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1-1.1
- (no CPE)range: < 1-150600.1.3.2
- (no CPE)range: < 1-150600.13.3.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-10.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.8.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-19.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-10.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.3
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.8.11.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.10.8.1
- (no CPE)range: < 6.4.0-150600.23.22.1
Patches
31cb6f0bae504f61ecf1bd5b5230bb13650b0Vulnerability mechanics
Generated on May 9, 2026. Inputs: CWE entries + fix-commit diffs from this CVE's patches. Citations validated against bundle.
References
3News mentions
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