CVE-2024-41023: sched/deadline: Fix task_struct reference leak
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
sched/deadline: Fix taskstruct reference leak
During the execution of the following stress test with linux-rt:
stress-ng --cyclic 30 --timeout 30 --minimize --quiet
kmemleak frequently reported a memory leak concerning the taskstruct:
unreferenced object 0xffff8881305b8000 (size 16136): comm "stress-ng", pid 614, jiffies 4294883961 (age 286.412s) object hex dump (first 32 bytes): 02 40 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 .@.............. 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 ................ debug hex dump (first 16 bytes): 53 09 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 00 S............... backtrace: [<00000000046b6790>] duptaskstruct+0x30/0x540 [<00000000c5ca0f0b>] copyprocess+0x3d9/0x50e0 [<00000000ced59777>] kernelclone+0xb0/0x770 [<00000000a50befdc>] dosysclone+0xb6/0xf0 [<000000001dbf2008>] dosyscall64+0x5d/0xf0 [<00000000552900ff>] entrySYSCALL64afterhwframe+0x6e/0x76
The issue occurs in startdltimer(), which increments the taskstruct reference count and sets a timer. The timer callback, dltasktimer, is supposed to decrement the reference count upon expiration. However, if enqueuetaskdl() is called before the timer expires and cancels it, the reference count is not decremented, leading to the leak.
This patch fixes the reference leak by ensuring the taskstruct reference count is properly decremented when the timer is canceled.
Other sources
Linux Kernel could allow a local authenticated attacker to obtain sensitive information, caused by a taskstruct reference leak flaw. By sending a specially crafted request, an attacker could exploit this vulnerability to obtain sensitive information or cause a denial of service condition.
— IBM
Affected Software
Remediation
Event History
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2024-41023?
CVE-2024-41023 has been classified as a medium severity vulnerability due to its potential for causing a task reference leak in the Linux kernel.
How do I fix CVE-2024-41023?
To mitigate CVE-2024-41023, update to kernel version 6.9.10 or 6.10 for Red Hat, or to versions 6.12.10-1 or 6.12.11-1 for Debian.
Which systems are affected by CVE-2024-41023?
CVE-2024-41023 affects specific versions of the Linux kernel in Red Hat and Debian distributions.
What type of vulnerability is CVE-2024-41023?
CVE-2024-41023 is a memory management vulnerability related to task_struct reference leaks in the Linux kernel.
Is there a known exploit for CVE-2024-41023?
As of now, there are no publicly known exploits specifically targeting CVE-2024-41023.