CVE-2024-26725 dpll: fix possible deadlock during netlink dump operation

Medium 5.5 Published Updated

A deadlock in the Linux kernel DPLL subsystem during netlink dump operations can cause a denial of service.

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-2024-26725?

CVE-2024-26725 is a medium-severity vulnerability in Linux kernel, published on 3 Apr 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:

dpll: fix possible deadlock during netlink dump operation

Recently, I've been hitting following deadlock warning during dpll pin dump:

[52804.637962] ====================================================== [52804.638536] WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected [52804.639111] 6.8.0-rc2jiri+ #1 Not tainted [52804.639529] ------------------------------------------------------ [52804.640104] python3/2984 is trying to acquire lock: [52804.640581] ffff88810e642678 (nlk_cb_mutex-GENERIC){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: netlink_dump+0xb3/0x780 [52804.641417] but task is already holding lock: [52804.642010] ffffffff83bde4c8 (dpll_lock){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: dpll_lock_dumpit+0x13/0x20 [52804.642747] which lock already depends on the new lock.

[52804.643551] the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: [52804.644259] -> #1 (dpll_lock){+.+.}-{3:3}: [52804.644836] lock_acquire+0x174/0x3e0 [52804.645271] __mutex_lock+0x119/0x1150 [52804.645723] dpll_lock_dumpit+0x13/0x20 [52804.646169] genl_start+0x266/0x320 [52804.646578] __netlink_dump_start+0x321/0x450 [52804.647056] genl_family_rcv_msg_dumpit+0x155/0x1e0 [52804.647575] genl_rcv_msg+0x1ed/0x3b0 [52804.648001] netlink_rcv_skb+0xdc/0x210 [52804.648440] genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 [52804.648831] netlink_unicast+0x2f1/0x490 [52804.649290] netlink_sendmsg+0x36d/0x660 [52804.649742] __sock_sendmsg+0x73/0xc0 [52804.650165] __sys_sendto+0x184/0x210 [52804.650597] __x64_sys_sendto+0x72/0x80 [52804.651045] do_syscall_64+0x6f/0x140 [52804.651474] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0x4e [52804.652001] -> #0 (nlk_cb_mutex-GENERIC){+.+.}-{3:3}: [52804.652650] check_prev_add+0x1ae/0x1280 [52804.653107] __lock_acquire+0x1ed3/0x29a0 [52804.653559] lock_acquire+0x174/0x3e0 [52804.653984] __mutex_lock+0x119/0x1150 [52804.654423] netlink_dump+0xb3/0x780 [52804.654845] __netlink_dump_start+0x389/0x450 [52804.655321] genl_family_rcv_msg_dumpit+0x155/0x1e0 [52804.655842] genl_rcv_msg+0x1ed/0x3b0 [52804.656272] netlink_rcv_skb+0xdc/0x210 [52804.656721] genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 [52804.657119] netlink_unicast+0x2f1/0x490 [52804.657570] netlink_sendmsg+0x36d/0x660 [52804.658022] __sock_sendmsg+0x73/0xc0 [52804.658450] __sys_sendto+0x184/0x210 [52804.658877] __x64_sys_sendto+0x72/0x80 [52804.659322] do_syscall_64+0x6f/0x140 [52804.659752] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x46/0x4e [52804.660281] other info that might help us debug this:

[52804.661077] Possible unsafe locking scenario:

[52804.661671] CPU0 CPU1 [52804.662129] ---- ---- [52804.662577] lock(dpll_lock); [52804.662924] lock(nlk_cb_mutex-GENERIC); [52804.663538] lock(dpll_lock); [52804.664073] lock(nlk_cb_mutex-GENERIC); [52804.664490]

The issue as follows: __netlink_dump_start() calls control->start(cb) with nlk->cb_mutex held. In control->start(cb) the dpll_lock is taken. Then nlk->cb_mutex is released and taken again in netlink_dump(), while dpll_lock still being held. That leads to ABBA deadlock when another CPU races with the same operation.

Fix this by moving dpll_lock taking into dumpit() callback which ensures correct lock taking order.

Weakness: CWE-667

Which versions are affected by CVE-2024-26725?

It affects 1 product.

Products include Linux kernel.

How do I fix CVE-2024-26725?

Apply the vendor's patch.

Is CVE-2024-26725 being exploited?

There is no known exploitation of CVE-2024-26725 in the wild and no public exploit code.

All Linux kernel vulnerabilities

Sources

Also known as BELL-CVE-2024-26725, DEBIAN-CVE-2024-26725, GHSA-jgpw-6hf2-c2m5, UBUNTU-CVE-2024-26725.

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