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

Drivers: hv: util: Avoid accessing a ringbuffer not initialized yet

If the KVP (or VSS) daemon starts before the VMBus channel's ringbuffer is
fully initialized, we can hit the panic below:

hv_utils: Registering HyperV Utility Driver
hv_vmbus: registering driver hv_utils
...
BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000
CPU: 44 UID: 0 PID: 2552 Comm: hv_kvp_daemon Tainted: G E 6.11.0-rc3+ #1
RIP: 0010:hv_pkt_iter_first+0x12/0xd0
Call Trace:
...
vmbus_recvpacket
hv_kvp_onchannelcallback
vmbus_on_event
tasklet_action_common
tasklet_action
handle_softirqs
irq_exit_rcu
sysvec_hyperv_stimer0
</IRQ>
<TASK>
asm_sysvec_hyperv_stimer0
...
kvp_register_done
hvt_op_read
vfs_read
ksys_read
__x64_sys_read

This can happen because the KVP/VSS channel callback can be invoked
even before the channel is fully opened:
1) as soon as hv_kvp_init() -> hvutil_transport_init() creates
/dev/vmbus/hv_kvp, the kvp daemon can open the device file immediately and
register itself to the driver by writing a message KVP_OP_REGISTER1 to the
file (which is handled by kvp_on_msg() ->kvp_handle_handshake()) and
reading the file for the driver's response, which is handled by
hvt_op_read(), which calls hvt->on_read(), i.e. kvp_register_done().

2) the problem with kvp_register_done() is that it can cause the
channel callback to be called even before the channel is fully opened,
and when the channel callback is starting to run, util_probe()->
vmbus_open() may have not initialized the ringbuffer yet, so the
callback can hit the panic of NULL pointer dereference.

To reproduce the panic consistently, we can add a "ssleep(10)" for KVP in
__vmbus_open(), just before the first hv_ringbuffer_init(), and then we
unload and reload the driver hv_utils, and run the daemon manually within
the 10 seconds.

Fix the panic by reordering the steps in util_probe() so the char dev
entry used by the KVP or VSS daemon is not created until after
vmbus_open() has completed. This reordering prevents the race condition
from happening.
Fixes

Solution

No solution given by the vendor.


Workaround

No workaround given by the vendor.

History

Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Weaknesses CWE-476
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel

Tue, 14 Jan 2025 08:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate


Sat, 11 Jan 2025 12:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: Drivers: hv: util: Avoid accessing a ringbuffer not initialized yet If the KVP (or VSS) daemon starts before the VMBus channel's ringbuffer is fully initialized, we can hit the panic below: hv_utils: Registering HyperV Utility Driver hv_vmbus: registering driver hv_utils ... BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000000 CPU: 44 UID: 0 PID: 2552 Comm: hv_kvp_daemon Tainted: G E 6.11.0-rc3+ #1 RIP: 0010:hv_pkt_iter_first+0x12/0xd0 Call Trace: ... vmbus_recvpacket hv_kvp_onchannelcallback vmbus_on_event tasklet_action_common tasklet_action handle_softirqs irq_exit_rcu sysvec_hyperv_stimer0 </IRQ> <TASK> asm_sysvec_hyperv_stimer0 ... kvp_register_done hvt_op_read vfs_read ksys_read __x64_sys_read This can happen because the KVP/VSS channel callback can be invoked even before the channel is fully opened: 1) as soon as hv_kvp_init() -> hvutil_transport_init() creates /dev/vmbus/hv_kvp, the kvp daemon can open the device file immediately and register itself to the driver by writing a message KVP_OP_REGISTER1 to the file (which is handled by kvp_on_msg() ->kvp_handle_handshake()) and reading the file for the driver's response, which is handled by hvt_op_read(), which calls hvt->on_read(), i.e. kvp_register_done(). 2) the problem with kvp_register_done() is that it can cause the channel callback to be called even before the channel is fully opened, and when the channel callback is starting to run, util_probe()-> vmbus_open() may have not initialized the ringbuffer yet, so the callback can hit the panic of NULL pointer dereference. To reproduce the panic consistently, we can add a "ssleep(10)" for KVP in __vmbus_open(), just before the first hv_ringbuffer_init(), and then we unload and reload the driver hv_utils, and run the daemon manually within the 10 seconds. Fix the panic by reordering the steps in util_probe() so the char dev entry used by the KVP or VSS daemon is not created until after vmbus_open() has completed. This reordering prevents the race condition from happening.
Title Drivers: hv: util: Avoid accessing a ringbuffer not initialized yet
References

cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2025-05-04T09:57:19.361Z

Reserved: 2025-01-09T09:49:29.678Z

Link: CVE-2024-55916

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Analyzed

Published: 2025-01-11T13:15:28.353

Modified: 2025-01-16T15:18:39.293

Link: CVE-2024-55916

cve-icon Redhat

Severity : Moderate

Publid Date: 2025-01-11T00:00:00Z

Links: CVE-2024-55916 - Bugzilla

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.