In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
rcu: Fix rcu_read_unlock() deadloop due to IRQ work
During rcu_read_unlock_special(), if this happens during irq_exit(), we
can lockup if an IPI is issued. This is because the IPI itself triggers
the irq_exit() path causing a recursive lock up.
This is precisely what Xiongfeng found when invoking a BPF program on
the trace_tick_stop() tracepoint As shown in the trace below. Fix by
managing the irq_work state correctly.
irq_exit()
__irq_exit_rcu()
/* in_hardirq() returns false after this */
preempt_count_sub(HARDIRQ_OFFSET)
tick_irq_exit()
tick_nohz_irq_exit()
tick_nohz_stop_sched_tick()
trace_tick_stop() /* a bpf prog is hooked on this trace point */
__bpf_trace_tick_stop()
bpf_trace_run2()
rcu_read_unlock_special()
/* will send a IPI to itself */
irq_work_queue_on(&rdp->defer_qs_iw, rdp->cpu);
A simple reproducer can also be obtained by doing the following in
tick_irq_exit(). It will hang on boot without the patch:
static inline void tick_irq_exit(void)
{
+ rcu_read_lock();
+ WRITE_ONCE(current->rcu_read_unlock_special.b.need_qs, true);
+ rcu_read_unlock();
+
[neeraj: Apply Frederic's suggested fix for PREEMPT_RT]
rcu: Fix rcu_read_unlock() deadloop due to IRQ work
During rcu_read_unlock_special(), if this happens during irq_exit(), we
can lockup if an IPI is issued. This is because the IPI itself triggers
the irq_exit() path causing a recursive lock up.
This is precisely what Xiongfeng found when invoking a BPF program on
the trace_tick_stop() tracepoint As shown in the trace below. Fix by
managing the irq_work state correctly.
irq_exit()
__irq_exit_rcu()
/* in_hardirq() returns false after this */
preempt_count_sub(HARDIRQ_OFFSET)
tick_irq_exit()
tick_nohz_irq_exit()
tick_nohz_stop_sched_tick()
trace_tick_stop() /* a bpf prog is hooked on this trace point */
__bpf_trace_tick_stop()
bpf_trace_run2()
rcu_read_unlock_special()
/* will send a IPI to itself */
irq_work_queue_on(&rdp->defer_qs_iw, rdp->cpu);
A simple reproducer can also be obtained by doing the following in
tick_irq_exit(). It will hang on boot without the patch:
static inline void tick_irq_exit(void)
{
+ rcu_read_lock();
+ WRITE_ONCE(current->rcu_read_unlock_special.b.need_qs, true);
+ rcu_read_unlock();
+
[neeraj: Apply Frederic's suggested fix for PREEMPT_RT]
Metrics
Affected Vendors & Products
No data.
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Fixes
Solution
No solution given by the vendor.
Workaround
No workaround given by the vendor.
References
History
Thu, 11 Sep 2025 17:00:00 +0000
| Type | Values Removed | Values Added |
|---|---|---|
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rcu: Fix rcu_read_unlock() deadloop due to IRQ work During rcu_read_unlock_special(), if this happens during irq_exit(), we can lockup if an IPI is issued. This is because the IPI itself triggers the irq_exit() path causing a recursive lock up. This is precisely what Xiongfeng found when invoking a BPF program on the trace_tick_stop() tracepoint As shown in the trace below. Fix by managing the irq_work state correctly. irq_exit() __irq_exit_rcu() /* in_hardirq() returns false after this */ preempt_count_sub(HARDIRQ_OFFSET) tick_irq_exit() tick_nohz_irq_exit() tick_nohz_stop_sched_tick() trace_tick_stop() /* a bpf prog is hooked on this trace point */ __bpf_trace_tick_stop() bpf_trace_run2() rcu_read_unlock_special() /* will send a IPI to itself */ irq_work_queue_on(&rdp->defer_qs_iw, rdp->cpu); A simple reproducer can also be obtained by doing the following in tick_irq_exit(). It will hang on boot without the patch: static inline void tick_irq_exit(void) { + rcu_read_lock(); + WRITE_ONCE(current->rcu_read_unlock_special.b.need_qs, true); + rcu_read_unlock(); + [neeraj: Apply Frederic's suggested fix for PREEMPT_RT] | |
| Title | rcu: Fix rcu_read_unlock() deadloop due to IRQ work | |
| References |
|
|
MITRE
Status: PUBLISHED
Assigner: Linux
Published:
Updated: 2025-09-11T16:52:17.725Z
Reserved: 2025-04-16T07:20:57.120Z
Link: CVE-2025-39744
Vulnrichment
No data.
NVD
Status : Received
Published: 2025-09-11T17:15:37.600
Modified: 2025-09-11T17:15:37.600
Link: CVE-2025-39744
Redhat
No data.
OpenCVE Enrichment
No data.