In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
sched/scs: Reset task stack state in bringup_cpu()
To hot unplug a CPU, the idle task on that CPU calls a few layers of C code before finally leaving the kernel. When KASAN is in use, poisoned shadow is left around for each of the active stack frames, and when shadow call stacks are in use. When shadow call stacks (SCS) are in use the task's saved SCS SP is left pointing at an arbitrary point within the task's shadow call stack.
When a CPU is offlined than onlined back into the kernel, this stale state can adversely affect execution. Stale KASAN shadow can alias new stackframes and result in bogus KASAN warnings. A stale SCS SP is effectively a memory leak, and prevents a portion of the shadow call stack being used. Across a number of hotplug cycles the idle task's entire shadow call stack can become unusable.
We previously fixed the KASAN issue in commit:
e1b77c92981a5222 ("sched/kasan: remove stale KASAN poison after hotplug")
... by removing any stale KASAN stack poison immediately prior to onlining a CPU.
Subsequently in commit:
f1a0a376ca0c4ef1 ("sched/core: Initialize the idle task with preemption disabled")
... the refactoring left the KASAN and SCS cleanup in one-time idle thread initialization code rather than something invoked prior to each CPU being onlined, breaking both as above.
We fixed SCS (but not KASAN) in commit:
63acd42c0d4942f7 ("sched/scs: Reset the shadow stack when idle_task_exit")
... but as this runs in the context of the idle task being offlined it's potentially fragile.
To fix these consistently and more robustly, reset the SCS SP and KASAN shadow of a CPU's idle task immediately before we online that CPU in bringup_cpu(). This ensures the idle task always has a consistent state when it is running, and removes the need to so so when exiting an idle task.
Whenever any thread is created, dup_task_struct() will give the task a stack which is free of KASAN shadow, and initialize the task's SCS SP, so there's no need to specially initialize either for idle thread within init_idle(), as this was only necessary to handle hotplug cycles.
I've tested this on arm64 with:
* gcc 11.1.0, defconfig +KASAN_INLINE, KASAN_STACK * clang 12.0.0, defconfig +KASAN_INLINE, KASAN_STACK, SHADOW_CALL_STACK
... offlining and onlining CPUS with:
| while true; do | for C in /sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu*/online; do | echo 0 > $C; | echo 1 > $C; | done | done
CVSS Details
- CVSS 3.1 Base Score: 7.8
- CVSS 3.1 Vector: (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)
Covered by Rapid7
| Product | Vendor Advisory | Solution File | Added | Published |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazon Linux Ami 2 | — | Upgrade kernel-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-aarch64Upgrade bpftool-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-tools-debuginfoUpgrade python-perfUpgrade python-perf-debuginfoUpgrade perf-debuginfoUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-toolsUpgrade kernel-livepatch-5.10.93-87.444Upgrade kernel-headersUpgrade perfUpgrade kernel-debuginfo-common-x86_64Upgrade bpftoolUpgrade kernel-tools-develUpgrade kernel | Mar 14, 2025 | May 24, 2024 |
| Debian | — | Upgrade linux | Jul 30, 2024 | May 24, 2024 |
| Redhat_linux | — | No solution exists | Jul 9, 2025 | May 24, 2024 |
| Suse | — | Upgrade dtb-hisiliconUpgrade kernel-syms-azureUpgrade kernel-rt-livepatch-develUpgrade gfs2-kmp-rtUpgrade kernel-debug-develUpgrade kernel-default-extraUpgrade dtb-amdUpgrade kernel-develUpgrade kernel-64kb-develUpgrade gfs2-kmp-64kbUpgrade kselftests-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-syms-rtUpgrade kernel-64kb-livepatch-develUpgrade kernel-devel-azureUpgrade dtb-xilinxUpgrade dlm-kmp-azureUpgrade dtb-armUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-defaultUpgrade kselftests-kmp-rtUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-defaultUpgrade dtb-mediatekUpgrade kernel-debug-livepatch-develUpgrade kernel-default-optionalUpgrade dtb-apmUpgrade kernel-debugUpgrade kernel-macrosUpgrade kernel-default-base-rebuildUpgrade kernel-devel-rtUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-rtUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-rtUpgrade dlm-kmp-defaultUpgrade dtb-amlogicUpgrade kernel-kvmsmall-develUpgrade dtb-rockchipUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-kvmsmallUpgrade kernel-obs-qaUpgrade kernel-rt-develUpgrade kernel-azure-livepatch-develUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-zfcpdumpUpgrade dtb-socionextUpgrade kernel-azure-vdsoUpgrade kernel-defaultUpgrade kernel-symsUpgrade kernel-docsUpgrade dtb-qcomUpgrade kernel-rt_debug-vdsoUpgrade kernel-rt-livepatchUpgrade kernel-64kb-optionalUpgrade kernel-azure-develUpgrade dtb-nvidiaUpgrade kernel-docs-htmlUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-azureUpgrade dtb-marvellUpgrade dtb-freescaleUpgrade gfs2-kmp-azureUpgrade dlm-kmp-64kbUpgrade dtb-sprdUpgrade kselftests-kmp-64kbUpgrade kernel-kvmsmall-vdsoUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-defaultUpgrade kernel-default-vdsoUpgrade dlm-kmp-rtUpgrade kselftests-kmp-azureUpgrade kernel-source-vanillaUpgrade dtb-appleUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-64kbUpgrade kernel-default-baseUpgrade kernel-default-livepatchUpgrade dtb-exynosUpgrade kernel-rt_debugUpgrade kernel-rt-vdsoUpgrade kernel-azure-optionalUpgrade kernel-64kb-extraUpgrade dtb-broadcomUpgrade dtb-amazonUpgrade cluster-md-kmp-rtUpgrade kernel-rt_debug-develUpgrade kernel-64kbUpgrade kernel-sourceUpgrade kernel-azureUpgrade gfs2-kmp-defaultUpgrade dtb-allwinnerUpgrade kernel-default-livepatch-develUpgrade kernel-source-azureUpgrade dtb-alteraUpgrade reiserfs-kmp-64kbUpgrade kernel-rt-extraUpgrade kernel-source-rtUpgrade kernel-kvmsmall-livepatch-develUpgrade kernel-rt_debug-livepatch-develUpgrade dtb-renesasUpgrade ocfs2-kmp-64kbUpgrade kernel-rt-optionalUpgrade kernel-obs-buildUpgrade dtb-lgUpgrade kernel-rtUpgrade kernel-debug-vdsoUpgrade kernel-default-develUpgrade dtb-caviumUpgrade kernel-azure-extra | Aug 9, 2024 | May 24, 2024 |
| Vmware Photon_os | — | Use 'tdnf update' to upgrade all packages to the latest version. | Jan 20, 2025 | May 24, 2024 |
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