Skip to content

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been...

Moderate severity Unreviewed Published Jan 19, 2025 to the GitHub Advisory Database • Updated Feb 3, 2025

Package

No package listedSuggest a package

Affected versions

Unknown

Patched versions

Unknown

Description

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

cgroup/cpuset: remove kernfs active break

A warning was found:

WARNING: CPU: 10 PID: 3486953 at fs/kernfs/file.c:828
CPU: 10 PID: 3486953 Comm: rmdir Kdump: loaded Tainted: G
RIP: 0010:kernfs_should_drain_open_files+0x1a1/0x1b0
RSP: 0018:ffff8881107ef9e0 EFLAGS: 00010202
RAX: 0000000080000002 RBX: ffff888154738c00 RCX: dffffc0000000000
RDX: 0000000000000007 RSI: 0000000000000004 RDI: ffff888154738c04
RBP: ffff888154738c04 R08: ffffffffaf27fa15 R09: ffffed102a8e7180
R10: ffff888154738c07 R11: 0000000000000000 R12: ffff888154738c08
R13: ffff888750f8c000 R14: ffff888750f8c0e8 R15: ffff888154738ca0
FS: 00007f84cd0be740(0000) GS:ffff8887ddc00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000
CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033
CR2: 0000555f9fbe00c8 CR3: 0000000153eec001 CR4: 0000000000370ee0
DR0: 0000000000000000 DR1: 0000000000000000 DR2: 0000000000000000
DR3: 0000000000000000 DR6: 00000000fffe0ff0 DR7: 0000000000000400
Call Trace:
kernfs_drain+0x15e/0x2f0
__kernfs_remove+0x165/0x300
kernfs_remove_by_name_ns+0x7b/0xc0
cgroup_rm_file+0x154/0x1c0
cgroup_addrm_files+0x1c2/0x1f0
css_clear_dir+0x77/0x110
kill_css+0x4c/0x1b0
cgroup_destroy_locked+0x194/0x380
cgroup_rmdir+0x2a/0x140

It can be explained by:
rmdir echo 1 > cpuset.cpus
kernfs_fop_write_iter // active=0
cgroup_rm_file
kernfs_remove_by_name_ns kernfs_get_active // active=1
__kernfs_remove // active=0x80000002
kernfs_drain cpuset_write_resmask
wait_event
//waiting (active == 0x80000001)
kernfs_break_active_protection
// active = 0x80000001
// continue
kernfs_unbreak_active_protection
// active = 0x80000002
...
kernfs_should_drain_open_files
// warning occurs
kernfs_put_active

This warning is caused by 'kernfs_break_active_protection' when it is
writing to cpuset.cpus, and the cgroup is removed concurrently.

The commit 3a5a6d0c2b03 ("cpuset: don't nest cgroup_mutex inside
get_online_cpus()") made cpuset_hotplug_workfn asynchronous, This change
involves calling flush_work(), which can create a multiple processes
circular locking dependency that involve cgroup_mutex, potentially leading
to a deadlock. To avoid deadlock. the commit 76bb5ab8f6e3 ("cpuset: break
kernfs active protection in cpuset_write_resmask()") added
'kernfs_break_active_protection' in the cpuset_write_resmask. This could
lead to this warning.

After the commit 2125c0034c5d ("cgroup/cpuset: Make cpuset hotplug
processing synchronous"), the cpuset_write_resmask no longer needs to
wait the hotplug to finish, which means that concurrent hotplug and cpuset
operations are no longer possible. Therefore, the deadlock doesn't exist
anymore and it does not have to 'break active protection' now. To fix this
warning, just remove kernfs_break_active_protection operation in the
'cpuset_write_resmask'.

References

Published by the National Vulnerability Database Jan 19, 2025
Published to the GitHub Advisory Database Jan 19, 2025
Last updated Feb 3, 2025

Severity

Moderate

CVSS overall score

This score calculates overall vulnerability severity from 0 to 10 and is based on the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS).
/ 10

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector
Local
Attack complexity
Low
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS v3 base metrics

Attack vector: More severe the more the remote (logically and physically) an attacker can be in order to exploit the vulnerability.
Attack complexity: More severe for the least complex attacks.
Privileges required: More severe if no privileges are required.
User interaction: More severe when no user interaction is required.
Scope: More severe when a scope change occurs, e.g. one vulnerable component impacts resources in components beyond its security scope.
Confidentiality: More severe when loss of data confidentiality is highest, measuring the level of data access available to an unauthorized user.
Integrity: More severe when loss of data integrity is the highest, measuring the consequence of data modification possible by an unauthorized user.
Availability: More severe when the loss of impacted component availability is highest.
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

EPSS score

Exploit Prediction Scoring System (EPSS)

This score estimates the probability of this vulnerability being exploited within the next 30 days. Data provided by FIRST.
(4th percentile)

Weaknesses

CVE ID

CVE-2025-21634

GHSA ID

GHSA-v62x-6v8m-46vv

Source code

No known source code

Dependabot alerts are not supported on this advisory because it does not have a package from a supported ecosystem with an affected and fixed version.

Learn more about GitHub language support

Loading Checking history
See something to contribute? Suggest improvements for this vulnerability.