Vulnerabilities > CVE-2024-50207 - Improper Locking vulnerability in Linux Kernel
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ring-buffer: Fix reader locking when changing the sub buffer order The function ring_buffer_subbuf_order_set() updates each ring_buffer_per_cpu and installs new sub buffers that match the requested page order. This operation may be invoked concurrently with readers that rely on some of the modified data, such as the head bit (RB_PAGE_HEAD), or the ring_buffer_per_cpu.pages and reader_page pointers. However, no exclusive access is acquired by ring_buffer_subbuf_order_set(). Modifying the mentioned data while a reader also operates on them can then result in incorrect memory access and various crashes. Fix the problem by taking the reader_lock when updating a specific ring_buffer_per_cpu in ring_buffer_subbuf_order_set().
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.