7.8 HIGH
- CVSS version (CVSS): 3.1
- Attack Vector (AV): Local (L)
- Attack Complexity (AC): High (H)
- Privileges Required (PR): Low (L)
- User Interaction (UI): None (N)
- Scope (S): Changed (C)
- Confidentiality (C): High (H)
- Integrity (I): High (H)
- Availability (A): High (H)
- Modified Attack Vector (MAV): Local (L)
- Modified Attack Complexity (MAC): High (H)
- Modified Privileges Required (MPR): Low (L)
- Modified User Interaction (MUI): None (N)
- Modified Confidentiality (MC): High (H)
- Modified Scope (MS): Changed (C)
- Modified Integrity (MI): High (H)
- Modified Availability (MA): High (H)
Activity log
- Created suggestion
SMP use-after-free in Zephyr `CONFIG_USERSPACE` dynamic kernel-object tracking, reachable from unprivileged user threads
Zephyr's dynamic kernel-object tracking (kernel/userspace/userspace.c, formerly kernel/userspace.c) maintains a doubly-linked list (obj_list) of dynamically allocated kernel objects. Iteration over this list in k_object_wordlist_foreach() was performed under lists_lock using the SAFE iterator (which caches the next node), but list removal and freeing of nodes was performed under different, disjoint spinlocks: objfree_lock in k_object_free() and obj_lock in unref_check(). On an SMP system, while one CPU iterated obj_list under lists_lock, another CPU could unlink and k_free() the dyn_obj node that the iterator had cached as its next pointer, causing the iterator to dereference freed kernel memory (use-after-free / dangling list traversal). All of the racing operations are reachable from unprivileged user-mode threads via system calls: k_object_alloc/k_object_alloc_size and k_object_release drive removals through unref_check() (under obj_lock), while k_thread_abort and thread creation drive the iteration through k_thread_perms_all_clear()/k_thread_perms_inherit() (under lists_lock). A deprivileged user thread on a CONFIG_SMP + CONFIG_USERSPACE build can therefore corrupt the kernel's object-tracking structures across the userspace security boundary, yielding kernel memory corruption (potential privilege escalation) or a kernel crash (denial of service). The fix removes objfree_lock and serializes every obj_list modification under lists_lock, including holding it across find+remove in k_object_free() and around unref_check() in k_thread_perms_clear(). Affects CONFIG_SMP+CONFIG_USERSPACE+CONFIG_DYNAMIC_OBJECTS configurations; the defect dates to the 2019 spinlockification (commit 8a3d57b6cc6, first released in v1.14.0) and shipped through v4.4.0.
References
Affected products
- <4.5.0
Matching in nixpkgs
pkgs.python313Packages.smoke-zephyr
Python utility collection
pkgs.python314Packages.smoke-zephyr
Python utility collection
pkgs.python313Packages.zephyr-python-api
Set of wrappers for Zephyr Scale (TM4J) REST API
pkgs.python314Packages.zephyr-python-api
Set of wrappers for Zephyr Scale (TM4J) REST API
pkgs.python313Packages.zephyr-test-management
Wrappers for both Zephyr Scale and Zephyr Squad (TM4J) REST APIs
Package maintainers
-
@fabaff Fabian Affolter <mail@fabian-affolter.ch>
-
@Steinhagen Viorel-Cătălin Răpițeanu <rapiteanu.catalin@gmail.com>