Vulnerability · Published Feb 27, 2024 · Assigned by Linux

CVE-2021-46939tracing: Restructure trace_clock_global() to never block

Medium 5.5

In plain English

A medium-severity uncontrolled resource consumption in Linux from Linux. There are no confirmed reports of exploitation so far. The chance it is exploited in the next 30 days is estimated at 0.2% (higher than 16% of all known vulnerabilities). Fixed versions are available - upgrade the affected package.

Severity (CVSS 3.1)5.5Medium
Exploit odds (30 days)0.2%top 84.0% of all CVEs
Exploited in the wildNo reportsCISA SSVC: none
Attack toolingNoneno public tooling known

Official description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Restructure trace_clock_global() to never block It was reported that a fix to the ring buffer recursion detection would cause a hung machine when performing suspend / resume testing. The following backtrace was extracted from debugging that case: Call Trace: trace_clock_global+0x91/0xa0 __rb_reserve_next+0x237/0x460 ring_buffer_lock_reserve+0x12a/0x3f0 trace_buffer_lock_reserve+0x10/0x50 __trace_graph_return+0x1f/0x80 trace_graph_return+0xb7/0xf0 ? trace_clock_global+0x91/0xa0 ftrace_return_to_handler+0x8b/0xf0 ? pv_hash+0xa0/0xa0 return_to_handler+0x15/0x30 ? ftrace_graph_caller+0xa0/0xa0 ? trace_clock_global+0x91/0xa0 ? __rb_reserve_next+0x237/0x460 ? ring_buffer_lock_reserve+0x12a/0x3f0 ? trace_event_buffer_lock_reserve+0x3c/0x120 ? trace_event_buffer_reserve+0x6b/0xc0 ? trace_event_raw_event_device_pm_callback_start+0x125/0x2d0 ? dpm_run_callback+0x3b/0xc0 ? pm_ops_is_empty+0x50/0x50 ? platform_get_irq_byname_optional+0x90/0x90 ? trace_device_pm_callback_start+0x82/0xd0 ? dpm_run_callback+0x49/0xc0 With the following RIP: RIP: 0010:native_queued_spin_lock_slowpath+0x69/0x200 Since the fix to the recursion detection would allow a single recursion to happen while tracing, this lead to the trace_clock_global() taking a spin lock and then trying to take it again: ring_buffer_lock_reserve() { trace_clock_global() { arch_spin_lock() { queued_spin_lock_slowpath() { /* lock taken */ (something else gets traced by function graph tracer) ring_buffer_lock_reserve() { trace_clock_global() { arch_spin_lock() { queued_spin_lock_slowpath() { /* DEAD LOCK! */ Tracing should *never* block, as it can lead to strange lockups like the above. Restructure the trace_clock_global() code to instead of simply taking a lock to update the recorded "prev_time" simply use it, as two events happening on two different CPUs that calls this at the same time, really doesn't matter which one goes first. Use a trylock to grab the lock for updating the prev_time, and if it fails, simply try again the next time. If it failed to be taken, that means something else is already updating it. Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/show_bug.cgi?id=212761

Affected packages & fixed versions

EcosystemPackageFixed inAdvisory
AlmaLinux:8bpftool4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-abi-stablelists4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-core4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-cross-headers4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-core4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-devel4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-modules4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-debug-modules-extra4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-devel4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-doc4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-headers4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-modules4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-modules-extra4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-core4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-core4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-devel4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-kvm4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-modules4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-debug-modules-extra4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-devel4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-kvm4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-modules4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-rt-modules-extra4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10ALSA-2024:5102
AlmaLinux:8kernel-tools4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-tools-libs4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-tools-libs-devel4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-zfcpdump4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-zfcpdump-core4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-zfcpdump-devel4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-zfcpdump-modules4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8kernel-zfcpdump-modules-extra4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8perf4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
AlmaLinux:8python3-perf4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10ALSA-2024:5101
Debian:12linux5.10.38-1DEBIAN-CVE-2021-46939
Debian:13linux5.10.38-1DEBIAN-CVE-2021-46939
Debian:14linux5.10.38-1DEBIAN-CVE-2021-46939
Rocky Linux:8kernel0:4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10RLSA-2024:5101
Rocky Linux:8kernel0:4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10.cloud.0.1RXSA-2024:5101
Rocky Linux:8kernel-rt0:4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10RLSA-2024:5102
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-allwinner-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-aws-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-azure-fde-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-gcp-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-intel-iot-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-nvidia-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-5.17no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.0no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-oem-6.1no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:24.04:LTSlinux-raspi-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-realtimeno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscvno fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-riscv-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-5.19no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939
Ubuntu:22.04:LTSlinux-starfive-6.2no fix listedUBUNTU-CVE-2021-46939

Affected products (as reported)

VendorProductVersions
Linux Linux 14131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before 91ca6f6a91f679c8645d7f3307e03ce86ad518c414131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before 859b47a43f5a0e5b9a92b621dc6ceaad39fb5c8b14131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before 1fca00920327be96f3318224f502e4d5460f954514131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before d43d56dbf452ccecc1ec735cd4b6840118005d7c14131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before c64da3294a7d59a4bf6874c664c13be892f15f4414131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before a33614d52e97fc8077eb0b292189ca7d964cc53414131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before 6e2418576228eeb12e7ba82edb8f9500623942ff14131f2f98ac350ee9e73faed916d2238a8b6a0d – before 2a1bd74b8186d7938bf004f5603f25b84785f63e
Linux Linux 2.6.30

Weakness: CWE-400 · Vector: CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

References