A vulnerability (CVE-2024-53181) has been discovered and resolved in the Linux kernel. This vulnerability could lead to crashes when removing a User-Mode Linux (UML) vector device. The issue arises as the drvdata is not available in release, and attempting to access it could result in a kernel panic.
Exploit details
The critical part of the code is in the vector_device_release function, where the drvdata is being accessed inappropriately. Here is a snipplet of the affected code:
RIP: 0033:vector_device_release+xf/x50
RSP: 00000000e187bc40 EFLAGS: 00010202
RAX: 0000000060028f61 RBX: 00000000600f1baf RCX: 00000000620074e
...
Kernel panic - not syncing: Segfault with no mm
As shown above, this error message indicates that the kernel encountered a segmentation fault due to the inappropriate use of drvdata in release.
Resolution:
To fix CVE-2024-53181, the code has been updated to use container_of() instead of accessing drvdata in the release. This change prevents the crash by properly dereferencing the pointer to the vector device instance.
Here's a link to the original patch that resolves the issue: um: vector: Do not use drvdata in release
Conclusion
It is important to stay up-to-date with the latest security patches in the Linux kernel to avoid potential kernel panics like the one caused by CVE-2024-53181. By applying the latest updates, you'll protect your system against this vulnerability, and ensure your kernel is running in a stable and secure state.
Timeline
Published on: 12/27/2024 14:15:25 UTC
Last modified on: 01/20/2025 06:20:44 UTC