Linux: Use After Free
CVE-2023-52446 is a high-severity use after free vulnerability in Linux, with a CVSS 3.1 base score of 7.8 out of 10. It can be exploited with local access to the system by an attacker with a low-privileged account, without any action from a user. The record lists versions d048dced8ea5eac6723ae873a40567e6f101ea42, f9ff6ef1c73cd9e1a6bb1ab3e57c5d141a536306, 59e5791f59dd83e8aa72a4e74217eabb6e8cfd90 as the first without the flaw, so updating Linux to one of those releases or later removes the exposure. There is no confirmed exploitation so far. EPSS estimates a 0.23% chance of exploitation within 30 days, which is low compared with other CVEs.
High severity with no evidence of exploitation so far.
What to do
- Update Linux to d048dced8ea5eac6723ae873a40567e6f101ea42 or f9ff6ef1c73cd9e1a6bb1ab3e57c5d141a536306 or 59e5791f59dd83e8aa72a4e74217eabb6e8cfd90, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
- Update Linux Kernel to 6.6.14 or 6.7.2, whichever matches your release line, or a later version.
Affected products and versions
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 958cf2e273f0929c66169e0788031310e8118722 up to, but not including, d048dced8ea5eac6723ae873a40567e6f101ea42; 958cf2e273f0929c66169e0788031310e8118722 up to, but not including, f9ff6ef1c73cd9e1a6bb1ab3e57c5d141a536306; 958cf2e273f0929c66169e0788031310e8118722 up to, but not including, 59e5791f59dd83e8aa72a4e74217eabb6e8cfd90; 6.2 | d048dced8ea5eac6723ae873a40567e6f101ea42, f9ff6ef1c73cd9e1a6bb1ab3e57c5d141a536306, 59e5791f59dd83e8aa72a4e74217eabb6e8cfd90 |
| Linux | Linux Kernel | 6.2.0 up to, but not including, 6.6.14; 6.7.0 up to, but not including, 6.7.2 | 6.6.14, 6.7.2 |
Version data comes from the organisation that assigned the CVE. Confirm against the vendor advisory before deciding you are unaffected.
How the severity score breaks down
- Attack vector
- LocalThe attacker needs local access or must trick a user into running something.
- Attack complexity
- LowNo special conditions are needed; the attack works reliably.
- Privileges required
- LowA basic user account is enough.
- User interaction
- NoneNo action by a victim is required.
- Scope
- UnchangedImpact stays within the vulnerable component.
- Confidentiality
- HighAll data handled by the component can be read.
- Integrity
- HighData or code can be modified at will.
- Availability
- HighThe component can be taken down completely.
Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H. Scored by NVD.
| Scoring system | Score | Severity | Scored by |
|---|---|---|---|
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | NVD |
| CVSS 3.1 | 7.8 | High | CISA (ADP) |
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---
Source: the CVE record as published by its numbering authority, via NVD and CVE.org.
The underlying weakness: Use After Free
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory belongs to the code that operates on the new pointer.
How developers prevent this class of flaw
- Choose a language that provides automatic memory management.
- When freeing pointers, be sure to set them to NULL once they are freed. However, the utilization of multiple or complex data structures may lower the usefulness of this strategy.
Timeline
- CVE record published.
- CISA published its SSVC assessment (exploitation: none, automatable: no, technical impact: total).
- Record last changed materially (score, affected products, status or references).
References
Patches and release notes
Recent Use After Free vulnerabilities
- 7.8 High severity
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