Linux KernelOperating system · Linux

CVE-2024-43834

MEDIUM · 5.5 CVSS v3.1 Published 2024-08-17
Fix available
A fix is available. Upgrade to 5.4 / 5.5 or later.
See remediation →
57/100
Remediation priority · Elevated
Zero-click Patch available

Official description Straight from the sourceThe vendor's or NVD's own wording, published unedited. Authoritative, but often terse — it says what broke, rarely what to do.

NVD · unedited
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: xdp: fix invalid wait context of page_pool_destroy() If the driver uses a page pool, it creates a page pool with page_pool_create(). The reference count of page pool is 1 as default. A page pool will be destroyed only when a reference count reaches 0. page_pool_destroy() is used to destroy page pool, it decreases a reference count. When a page pool is destroyed, ->disconnect() is called, which is mem_allocator_disconnect(). This function internally acquires mutex_lock(). If the driver uses XDP, it registers a memory model with xdp_rxq_info_reg_mem_model(). The xdp_rxq_info_reg_mem_model() internally increases a page pool reference count if a memory model is a page pool. Now the reference count is 2. To destroy a page pool, the driver should call both page_pool_destroy() and xdp_unreg_mem_model(). The xdp_unreg_mem_model() internally calls page_pool_destroy(). Only page_pool_destroy() decreases a reference count. If a driver calls page_pool_destroy() then xdp_unreg_mem_model(), we will face an invalid wait context warning. Because xdp_unreg_mem_model() calls page_pool_destroy() with rcu_read_lock(). The page_pool_destroy() internally acquires mutex_lock(). Splat looks like: ============================= [ BUG: Invalid wait context ] 6.10.0-rc6+ #4 Tainted: G W ----------------------------- ethtool/1806 is trying to lock: ffffffff90387b90 (mem_id_lock){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150 other info that might help us debug this: context-{5:5} 3 locks held by ethtool/1806: stack backtrace: CPU: 0 PID: 1806 Comm: ethtool Tainted: G W 6.10.0-rc6+ #4 f916f41f172891c800f2fed Hardware name: ASUS System Product Name/PRIME Z690-P D4, BIOS 0603 11/01/2021 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl+0x7e/0xc0 __lock_acquire+0x1681/0x4de0 ? _printk+0x64/0xe0 ? __pfx_mark_lock.part.0+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx___lock_acquire+0x10/0x10 lock_acquire+0x1b3/0x580 ? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150 ? __wake_up_klogd.part.0+0x16/0xc0 ? __pfx_lock_acquire+0x10/0x10 ? dump_stack_lvl+0x91/0xc0 __mutex_lock+0x15c/0x1690 ? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150 ? __pfx_prb_read_valid+0x10/0x10 ? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150 ? __pfx_llist_add_batch+0x10/0x10 ? console_unlock+0x193/0x1b0 ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0xbe/0x140 ? __pfx___mutex_lock+0x10/0x10 ? tick_nohz_tick_stopped+0x16/0x90 ? __irq_work_queue_local+0x1e5/0x330 ? irq_work_queue+0x39/0x50 ? __wake_up_klogd.part.0+0x79/0xc0 ? mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150 mem_allocator_disconnect+0x73/0x150 ? __pfx_mem_allocator_disconnect+0x10/0x10 ? mark_held_locks+0xa5/0xf0 ? rcu_is_watching+0x11/0xb0 page_pool_release+0x36e/0x6d0 page_pool_destroy+0xd7/0x440 xdp_unreg_mem_model+0x1a7/0x2a0 ? __pfx_xdp_unreg_mem_model+0x10/0x10 ? kfree+0x125/0x370 ? bnxt_free_ring.isra.0+0x2eb/0x500 ? bnxt_free_mem+0x5ac/0x2500 xdp_rxq_info_unreg+0x4a/0xd0 bnxt_free_mem+0x1356/0x2500 bnxt_close_nic+0xf0/0x3b0 ? __pfx_bnxt_close_nic+0x10/0x10 ? ethnl_parse_bit+0x2c6/0x6d0 ? __pfx___nla_validate_parse+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx_ethnl_parse_bit+0x10/0x10 bnxt_set_features+0x2a8/0x3e0 __netdev_update_features+0x4dc/0x1370 ? ethnl_parse_bitset+0x4ff/0x750 ? __pfx_ethnl_parse_bitset+0x10/0x10 ? __pfx___netdev_update_features+0x10/0x10 ? mark_held_locks+0xa5/0xf0 ? _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x42/0x70 ? __pm_runtime_resume+0x7d/0x110 ethnl_set_features+0x32d/0xa20 To fix this problem, it uses rhashtable_lookup_fast() instead of rhashtable_lookup() with rcu_read_lock(). Using xa without rcu_read_lock() here is safe. xa is freed by __xdp_mem_allocator_rcu_free() and this is called by call_rcu() of mem_xa_remove(). The mem_xa_remove() is called by page_pool_destroy() if a reference count reaches 0. The xa is already protected by the reference count mechanism well in the control plane. So removing rcu_read_lock() for page_pool_destroy() is safe.

Technical summary Written by usOur analysis, written from the advisory, the CVSS vector and the affected-version data. It adds context the advisory leaves out, and never invents facts that are not in the source.

dbcve analysis

A detailed technical summary for this CVE is being prepared.

Affected products & versions What the vendor confirmedThe version ranges the vendor confirmed as vulnerable. If your version sits inside a range here, treat yourself as exposed until you have upgraded.

NVD · CPE data
Linux KernelOperating system
Affected:>= 5.3.18, < 5.4>= 5.4.5, < 5.5>= 5.5, < 6.1.103>= 6.2, < 6.6.44>= 6.7, < 6.10.3

CVSS breakdown How the score is builtThe industry scoring standard. It rates how the flaw is reached, what it takes to exploit, and what an attacker gains — the score is derived from those, not the other way round.

From the vector
Attack vector
Local
Complexity
Low
Privileges
Low
User interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Remediation Closing itWhat it takes to close this. Where a vendor fix exists we point at it; where none exists we say so plainly, and can build one. Effort estimates are scoped from the advisory, not from your codebase.

dbcve · scoped
Upgrade available Upgrade to 5.4 / 5.5 / 6.1.103 or later
Fixed in 5.45.56.1.103
Vendor patch git.kernel.org →
Recommended fix High confidence

5.4.5+ or 6.1.103+ or 6.6.44+ depending on major version branch

  1. Identify the currently running Linux kernel version using `uname -r`
  2. Determine which version range your current kernel falls into: 5.3.x, 5.4.x, 5.5-6.1.x, or 6.2-6.6.x
  3. For 5.4.x kernels: upgrade to kernel version 5.4.5 or later
  4. For 6.1.x kernels: upgrade to kernel version 6.1.103 or later
  5. For 6.2.x through 6.6.x kernels: upgrade to kernel version 6.6.44 or later
  6. Alternatively, apply the vendor patch commit 12144069209eec7f2090ce9afa15acdcc2c2a537 to your kernel source and rebuild
Caveat Kernel upgrades may require matching driver/modules and could introduce regressions; ensure compatibility with dependent userspace tools

Generated from the published advisory — verify against the referenced sources before acting.

We can perform the upgrade in your staging environment and verify nothing breaks — typical engagement from $1,600. Get the upgrade done

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References Go to the primary sourcePrimary sources — vendor advisories, patches and trackers. Where our summary and a reference disagree, the reference wins.

Primary sources

Practitioner notes

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Peer-ranked notes from engineers who’ve handled CVE-2024-43834 in production — separate from our analysis above.

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