CVE-2023-52446 bpf: Fix a race condition between btf_put() and map_free()

High 7.8 Published Updated

A race condition in the Linux kernel BPF subsystem allows a use-after-free, potentially enabling local attackers to execute code or escalate privileges.

Exploited in the wild
Not known
Login needed
Any signed-in user
Attackable
Local or same network only
Victim action needed
Not needed
Fix
Available

What is CVE-2023-52446?

CVE-2023-52446 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 22 Feb 2024. It can only be exploited from the same machine or local network, with no action from the victim.

Official description

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

bpf: Fix a race condition between btf_put() and map_free()

When running `./test_progs -j` in my local vm with latest kernel, I once hit a kasan error like below:

[ 1887.184724] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0 [ 1887.185599] Read of size 4 at addr ffff888106806910 by task kworker/u12:2/2830 [ 1887.186498] [ 1887.186712] CPU: 3 PID: 2830 Comm: kworker/u12:2 Tainted: G OEL 6.7.0-rc3-00699-g90679706d486-dirty #494 [ 1887.188034] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS rel-1.14.0-0-g155821a1990b-prebuilt.qemu.org 04/01/2014 [ 1887.189618] Workqueue: events_unbound bpf_map_free_deferred [ 1887.190341] Call Trace: [ 1887.190666] <TASK> [ 1887.190949] dump_stack_lvl+0xac/0xe0 [ 1887.191423] ? nf_tcp_handle_invalid+0x1b0/0x1b0 [ 1887.192019] ? panic+0x3c0/0x3c0 [ 1887.192449] print_report+0x14f/0x720 [ 1887.192930] ? preempt_count_sub+0x1c/0xd0 [ 1887.193459] ? __virt_addr_valid+0xac/0x120 [ 1887.194004] ? bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0 [ 1887.194572] kasan_report+0xc3/0x100 [ 1887.195085] ? bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0 [ 1887.195668] bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0 [ 1887.196183] ? __bpf_obj_drop_impl+0xb0/0xb0 [ 1887.196736] ? preempt_count_sub+0x1c/0xd0 [ 1887.197270] ? preempt_count_sub+0x1c/0xd0 [ 1887.197802] ? _raw_spin_unlock+0x1f/0x40 [ 1887.198319] bpf_obj_free_fields+0x1d4/0x260 [ 1887.198883] array_map_free+0x1a3/0x260 [ 1887.199380] bpf_map_free_deferred+0x7b/0xe0 [ 1887.199943] process_scheduled_works+0x3a2/0x6c0 [ 1887.200549] worker_thread+0x633/0x890 [ 1887.201047] ? __kthread_parkme+0xd7/0xf0 [ 1887.201574] ? kthread+0x102/0x1d0 [ 1887.202020] kthread+0x1ab/0x1d0 [ 1887.202447] ? pr_cont_work+0x270/0x270 [ 1887.202954] ? kthread_blkcg+0x50/0x50 [ 1887.203444] ret_from_fork+0x34/0x50 [ 1887.203914] ? kthread_blkcg+0x50/0x50 [ 1887.204397] ret_from_fork_asm+0x11/0x20 [ 1887.204913] </TASK> [ 1887.204913] </TASK> [ 1887.205209] [ 1887.205416] Allocated by task 2197: [ 1887.205881] kasan_set_track+0x3f/0x60 [ 1887.206366] __kasan_kmalloc+0x6e/0x80 [ 1887.206856] __kmalloc+0xac/0x1a0 [ 1887.207293] btf_parse_fields+0xa15/0x1480 [ 1887.207836] btf_parse_struct_metas+0x566/0x670 [ 1887.208387] btf_new_fd+0x294/0x4d0 [ 1887.208851] __sys_bpf+0x4ba/0x600 [ 1887.209292] __x64_sys_bpf+0x41/0x50 [ 1887.209762] do_syscall_64+0x4c/0xf0 [ 1887.210222] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x63/0x6b [ 1887.210868] [ 1887.211074] Freed by task 36: [ 1887.211460] kasan_set_track+0x3f/0x60 [ 1887.211951] kasan_save_free_info+0x28/0x40 [ 1887.212485] ____kasan_slab_free+0x101/0x180 [ 1887.213027] __kmem_cache_free+0xe4/0x210 [ 1887.213514] btf_free+0x5b/0x130 [ 1887.213918] rcu_core+0x638/0xcc0 [ 1887.214347] __do_softirq+0x114/0x37e

The error happens at bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8/0x2b0:

00000000000034c0 <bpf_rb_root_free>: ; { 34c0: f3 0f 1e fa endbr64 34c4: e8 00 00 00 00 callq 0x34c9 <bpf_rb_root_free+0x9> 34c9: 55 pushq %rbp 34ca: 48 89 e5 movq %rsp, %rbp ... ; if (rec && rec->refcount_off >= 0 && 36aa: 4d 85 ed testq %r13, %r13 36ad: 74 a9 je 0x3658 <bpf_rb_root_free+0x198> 36af: 49 8d 7d 10 leaq 0x10(%r13), %rdi 36b3: e8 00 00 00 00 callq 0x36b8 <bpf_rb_root_free+0x1f8> <==== kasan function 36b8: 45 8b 7d 10 movl 0x10(%r13), %r15d <==== use-after-free load 36bc: 45 85 ff testl %r15d, %r15d 36bf: 78 8c js 0x364d <bpf_rb_root_free+0x18d>

So the problem ---truncated---

Weakness: CWE-416

Which versions are affected by CVE-2023-52446?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2023-52446?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Upgrade to the fixed version. These bugs are found with fuzzing and sanitisers and avoided by memory-safe languages. More about Use after free.

Is CVE-2023-52446 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2023-52446 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as BELL-CVE-2023-52446, DEBIAN-CVE-2023-52446, GHSA-3m37-qf9f-22vv, UBUNTU-CVE-2023-52446.

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