Attacker Value
Unknown
(0 users assessed)
Exploitability
Unknown
(0 users assessed)
User Interaction
None
Privileges Required
Low
Attack Vector
Local
0

CVE-2024-44991

Disclosure Date: September 04, 2024 •
CVE-2024-44991 CVSS v3 Base Score: 5.5
Add MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques that apply to this CVE.

Description

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

tcp: prevent concurrent execution of tcp_sk_exit_batch

Its possible that two threads call tcp_sk_exit_batch() concurrently,
once from the cleanup_net workqueue, once from a task that failed to clone
a new netns. In the latter case, error unwinding calls the exit handlers
in reverse order for the ‘failed’ netns.

tcp_sk_exit_batch() calls tcp_twsk_purge().
Problem is that since commit b099ce2602d8 (“net: Batch inet_twsk_purge”),
this function picks up twsk in any dying netns, not just the one passed
in via exit_batch list.

This means that the error unwind of setup_net() can “steal” and destroy
timewait sockets belonging to the exiting netns.

This allows the netns exit worker to proceed to call

WARN_ON_ONCE(!refcount_dec_and_test(&net->ipv4.tcp_death_row.tw_refcount));

without the expected 1 –> 0 transition, which then splats.

At same time, error unwind path that is also running inet_twsk_purge()
will splat as well:

WARNING: .. at lib/refcount.c:31 refcount_warn_saturate+0x1ed/0x210
…
refcount_dec include/linux/refcount.h:351 [inline]
inet_twsk_kill+0x758/0x9c0 net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c:70
inet_twsk_deschedule_put net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c:221
inet_twsk_purge+0x725/0x890 net/ipv4/inet_timewait_sock.c:304
tcp_sk_exit_batch+0x1c/0x170 net/ipv4/tcp_ipv4.c:3522
ops_exit_list+0x128/0x180 net/core/net_namespace.c:178
setup_net+0x714/0xb40 net/core/net_namespace.c:375
copy_net_ns+0x2f0/0x670 net/core/net_namespace.c:508
create_new_namespaces+0x3ea/0xb10 kernel/nsproxy.c:110

… because refcount_dec() of tw_refcount unexpectedly dropped to 0.

This doesn’t seem like an actual bug (no tw sockets got lost and I don’t
see a use-after-free) but as erroneous trigger of debug check.

Add a mutex to force strict ordering: the task that calls tcp_twsk_purge()
blocks other task from doing final _dec_and_test before mutex-owner has
removed all tw sockets of dying netns.

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CVSS V3 Severity and Metrics
Base Score:
5.5 Medium
Impact Score:
3.6
Exploitability Score:
1.8
Vector:
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Attack Vector (AV):
Local
Attack Complexity (AC):
Low
Privileges Required (PR):
Low
User Interaction (UI):
None
Scope (S):
Unchanged
Confidentiality (C):
None
Integrity (I):
None
Availability (A):
High

General Information

Offensive Application
Unknown
Utility Class
Unknown
Ports
Unknown
OS
Unknown
Vulnerable Versions
Linux e3d9de3742f4
Linux not down converted
Prerequisites
Unknown
Discovered By
Unknown
PoC Author
Unknown
Metasploit Module
Unknown
Reporter
Unknown

Vendors

  • linux

Products

  • linux kernel,
  • linux kernel 6.11
Technical Analysis