Vulnerabilities > CVE-2024-42253 - Improper Locking vulnerability in Linux Kernel
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: gpio: pca953x: fix pca953x_irq_bus_sync_unlock race Ensure that `i2c_lock' is held when setting interrupt latch and mask in pca953x_irq_bus_sync_unlock() in order to avoid races. The other (non-probe) call site pca953x_gpio_set_multiple() ensures the lock is held before calling pca953x_write_regs(). The problem occurred when a request raced against irq_bus_sync_unlock() approximately once per thousand reboots on an i.MX8MP based system. * Normal case 0-0022: write register AI|3a {03,02,00,00,01} Input latch P0 0-0022: write register AI|49 {fc,fd,ff,ff,fe} Interrupt mask P0 0-0022: write register AI|08 {ff,00,00,00,00} Output P3 0-0022: write register AI|12 {fc,00,00,00,00} Config P3 * Race case 0-0022: write register AI|08 {ff,00,00,00,00} Output P3 0-0022: write register AI|08 {03,02,00,00,01} *** Wrong register *** 0-0022: write register AI|12 {fc,00,00,00,00} Config P3 0-0022: write register AI|49 {fc,fd,ff,ff,fe} Interrupt mask P0
Vulnerable Configurations
Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE)
Common Attack Pattern Enumeration and Classification (CAPEC)
- Leveraging Race Conditions This attack targets a race condition occurring when multiple processes access and manipulate the same resource concurrently and the outcome of the execution depends on the particular order in which the access takes place. The attacker can leverage a race condition by "running the race", modifying the resource and modifying the normal execution flow. For instance a race condition can occur while accessing a file, the attacker can trick the system by replacing the original file with his version and cause the system to read the malicious file.
- Leveraging Race Conditions via Symbolic Links This attack leverages the use of symbolic links (Symlinks) in order to write to sensitive files. An attacker can create a Symlink link to a target file not otherwise accessible to her. When the privileged program tries to create a temporary file with the same name as the Symlink link, it will actually write to the target file pointed to by the attackers' Symlink link. If the attacker can insert malicious content in the temporary file she will be writing to the sensitive file by using the Symlink. The race occurs because the system checks if the temporary file exists, then creates the file. The attacker would typically create the Symlink during the interval between the check and the creation of the temporary file.