CVE-2024-43869
perf: Fix event leak upon exec and file release
- State
- Published
- Severity
- Not scored
- Published
- Aug 21, 2024
- Updated
- May 23, 2026
- Reserved
- Aug 17, 2024
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
perf: Fix event leak upon exec and file release
The perf pending task work is never waited upon the matching event release. In the case of a child event, released via free_event() directly, this can potentially result in a leaked event, such as in the following scenario that doesn't even require a weak IRQ work implementation to trigger:
schedule() prepare_task_switch() =======> <NMI> perf_event_overflow() event->pending_sigtrap = ... irq_work_queue(&event->pending_irq) <======= </NMI> perf_event_task_sched_out() event_sched_out() event->pending_sigtrap = 0; atomic_long_inc_not_zero(&event->refcount) task_work_add(&event->pending_task) finish_lock_switch() =======> <IRQ> perf_pending_irq() //do nothing, rely on pending task work <======= </IRQ>
begin_new_exec() perf_event_exit_task() perf_event_exit_event() // If is child event free_event() WARN(atomic_long_cmpxchg(&event->refcount, 1, 0) != 1) // event is leaked
Similar scenarios can also happen with perf_event_remove_on_exec() or simply against concurrent perf_event_release().
Fix this with synchonizing against the possibly remaining pending task work while freeing the event, just like is done with remaining pending IRQ work. This means that the pending task callback neither need nor should hold a reference to the event, preventing it from ever beeing freed.
Scores
The record has no CVSS score.
Weaknesses
The record names no weakness.
Affected Products
| Product | Versions |
|---|---|
LinuxLinux |
|
LinuxLinux |
|
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9ad46f1fef421d43cdab3a7d1744b2f43b54dae0
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ed2c202dac55423a52d7e2290f2888bf08b8ee99
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/104e258a004037bc7dba9f6085c71dad6af57ad4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f34d8307a73a18de5320fcc6f40403146d061891
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3a5465418f5fd970e86a86c7f4075be262682840
- https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html
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