CVE-2023-53478

tracing/synthetic: Fix races on freeing last_cmd

State
Published
Severity
7.8 High
Published
Oct 1, 2025
Updated
Aug 5, 2026
Reserved
Oct 1, 2025

Read the record on cve.org

Description

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

tracing/synthetic: Fix races on freeing last_cmd

Currently, the "last_cmd" variable can be accessed by multiple processes asynchronously when multiple users manipulate synthetic_events node at the same time, it could lead to use-after-free or double-free.

This patch add "lastcmd_mutex" to prevent "last_cmd" from being accessed asynchronously.

================================================================

It's easy to reproduce in the KASAN environment by running the two scripts below in different shells.

script 1: while : do echo -n -e '\x88' > /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events done

script 2: while : do echo -n -e '\xb0' > /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events done

================================================================ double-free scenario:

process A process B ------------------- --------------- 1.kstrdup last_cmd 2.free last_cmd 3.free last_cmd(double-free)

================================================================ use-after-free scenario:

process A process B ------------------- --------------- 1.kstrdup last_cmd 2.free last_cmd 3.tracing_log_err(use-after-free)

================================================================

Appendix 1. KASAN report double-free:

BUG: KASAN: double-free in kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 Free of addr ***** by task sh/4879 Call trace: ... kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x60/0x1e8 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ...

Allocated by task 4879: ... kstrdup+0x5c/0x98 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x6c/0x1e8 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ...

Freed by task 5464: ... kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x60/0x1e8 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ...

================================================================ Appendix 2. KASAN report use-after-free:

BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in strlen+0x5c/0x7c Read of size 1 at addr ***** by task sh/5483 sh: CPU: 7 PID: 5483 Comm: sh ... __asan_report_load1_noabort+0x34/0x44 strlen+0x5c/0x7c tracing_log_err+0x60/0x444 create_or_delete_synth_event+0xc4/0x204 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ...

Allocated by task 5483: ... kstrdup+0x5c/0x98 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x80/0x204 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ...

Freed by task 5480: ... kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x74/0x204 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ...

Scores

CVSSScoreVectorSource
3.17.8 HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:HLinux

Weaknesses

The record names no weakness.

Affected Products

ProductVersions
LinuxLinux
  • 27c888da9867725784bad3d6455d6e53b425fa2b to before 9fe183f659a2704255e5d84f6ae308c234a113ecAffected
  • 27c888da9867725784bad3d6455d6e53b425fa2b to before 8826d9e7bd51e7656f78baa4472e8e2f5e7069f0Affected
  • 27c888da9867725784bad3d6455d6e53b425fa2b to before 4ccf11c4e8a8e051499d53a12f502196c97a758eAffected
LinuxLinux
  • 5.18Affected
  • before 5.18Not affected
  • 6.1.24 through 6.1.*Not affected
  • 6.2.11 through 6.2.*Not affected
  • 6.3 and laterNot affected

References

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