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7.8
CVE-2023-53560: Linux kernel bug in tracing feature: removing triggers incorrectly
CVE-2023-53560 · published 10 months ago
Summary
A bug in the Linux kernel's tracing feature could allow a malicious user to remove a trigger that references variables, leading to a crash. This bug has been fixed in a recent update, and users are advised to update their kernel to the latest version to prevent potential issues. To ensure you have the latest security patches, check for and install any available updates for your Linux distribution.
What to do
- Update linux linux to version 4ffad1528e81c91769d9da1f8436080861c8ec67 or later.
Affected software
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions |
|---|---|---|
| linux | linux_kernel |
>= 4.17, < 4.19.291 >= 4.20, < 5.4.251 >= 5.5, < 5.10.188 >= 5.11, < 5.15.121 >= 5.16, < 6.1.40 >= 6.2, < 6.4.5 6.5 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* |
| linux | linux |
< 4ffad1528e81c91769d9da1f8436080861c8ec67 4.17 |
Original advisory text
tracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables
Hist triggers can have referenced variables without having direct
variables fields. This can be the case if referenced variables are added
for trigger actions. In this case the newly added references will not
have field variables. Not taking such referenced variables into
consideration can result in a bug where it would be possible to remove
hist trigger with variables being refenced. This will result in a bug
that is easily reproducable like so
$ cd /sys/kernel/tracing
$ echo 'synthetic_sys_enter char[] comm; long id' >> synthetic_events
$ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
$ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:onmatch(raw_syscalls.sys_enter).synthetic_sys_enter($comm, id)' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
$ echo '!hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
[ 100.263533] ==================================================================
[ 100.264634] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.265520] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810375d0f0 by task bash/439
[ 100.266320]
[ 100.266533] CPU: 2 PID: 439 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.5.0-rc1 #4
[ 100.267277] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.0-20220807_005459-localhost 04/01/2014
[ 100.268561] Call Trace:
[ 100.268902] <TASK>
[ 100.269189] dump_stack_lvl+0x4c/0x70
[ 100.269680] print_report+0xc5/0x600
[ 100.270165] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.270697] ? kasan_complete_mode_report_info+0x80/0x1f0
[ 100.271389] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.271913] kasan_report+0xbd/0x100
[ 100.272380] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.272920] __asan_load8+0x71/0xa0
[ 100.273377] resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.273888] event_hist_trigger+0x749/0x860
[ 100.274505] ? kasan_save_stack+0x2a/0x50
[ 100.275024] ? kasan_set_track+0x29/0x40
[ 100.275536] ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger+0x10/0x10
[ 100.276138] ? ksys_write+0xd1/0x170
[ 100.276607] ? do_syscall_64+0x3c/0x90
[ 100.277099] ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8
[ 100.277771] ? destroy_hist_data+0x446/0x470
[ 100.278324] ? event_hist_trigger_parse+0xa6c/0x3860
[ 100.278962] ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger_parse+0x10/0x10
[ 100.279627] ? __kasan_check_write+0x18/0x20
[ 100.280177] ? mutex_unlock+0x85/0xd0
[ 100.280660] ? __pfx_mutex_unlock+0x10/0x10
[ 100.281200] ? kfree+0x7b/0x120
[ 100.281619] ? ____kasan_slab_free+0x15d/0x1d0
[ 100.282197] ? event_trigger_write+0xac/0x100
[ 100.282764] ? __kasan_slab_free+0x16/0x20
[ 100.283293] ? __kmem_cache_free+0x153/0x2f0
[ 100.283844] ? sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0xb1/0x250
[ 100.284550] ? __pfx_sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0x10/0x10
[ 100.285221] ? event_trigger_write+0xbc/0x100
[ 100.285781] ? __kasan_check_read+0x15/0x20
[ 100.286321] ? __bitmap_weight+0x66/0xa0
[ 100.286833] ? _find_next_bit+0x46/0xe0
[ 100.287334] ? task_mm_cid_work+0x37f/0x450
[ 100.287872] event_triggers_call+0x84/0x150
[ 100.288408] trace_event_buffer_commit+0x339/0x430
[ 100.289073] ? ring_buffer_event_data+0x3f/0x60
[ 100.292189] trace_event_raw_event_sys_enter+0x8b/0xe0
[ 100.295434] syscall_trace_enter.constprop.0+0x18f/0x1b0
[ 100.298653] syscall_enter_from_user_mode+0x32/0x40
[ 100.301808] do_syscall_64+0x1a/0x90
[ 100.304748] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8
[ 100.307775] RIP: 0033:0x7f686c75c1cb
[ 100.310617] Code: 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 65 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 83 c8 ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 f3 0f 1e fa b8 21 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 35 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48
[ 100.317847] RSP: 002b:00007ffc60137a38 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000021
[ 100.321200] RA
---truncated---
tracing/histograms: Add histograms to hist_vars if they have referenced variables
Hist triggers can have referenced variables without having direct
variables fields. This can be the case if referenced variables are added
for trigger actions. In this case the newly added references will not
have field variables. Not taking such referenced variables into
consideration can result in a bug where it would be possible to remove
hist trigger with variables being refenced. This will result in a bug
that is easily reproducable like so
$ cd /sys/kernel/tracing
$ echo 'synthetic_sys_enter char[] comm; long id' >> synthetic_events
$ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
$ echo 'hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:onmatch(raw_syscalls.sys_enter).synthetic_sys_enter($comm, id)' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
$ echo '!hist:keys=common_pid.execname,id.syscall:vals=hitcount:comm=common_pid.execname' >> events/raw_syscalls/sys_enter/trigger
[ 100.263533] ==================================================================
[ 100.264634] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.265520] Read of size 8 at addr ffff88810375d0f0 by task bash/439
[ 100.266320]
[ 100.266533] CPU: 2 PID: 439 Comm: bash Not tainted 6.5.0-rc1 #4
[ 100.267277] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.0-20220807_005459-localhost 04/01/2014
[ 100.268561] Call Trace:
[ 100.268902] <TASK>
[ 100.269189] dump_stack_lvl+0x4c/0x70
[ 100.269680] print_report+0xc5/0x600
[ 100.270165] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.270697] ? kasan_complete_mode_report_info+0x80/0x1f0
[ 100.271389] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.271913] kasan_report+0xbd/0x100
[ 100.272380] ? resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.272920] __asan_load8+0x71/0xa0
[ 100.273377] resolve_var_refs+0xc7/0x180
[ 100.273888] event_hist_trigger+0x749/0x860
[ 100.274505] ? kasan_save_stack+0x2a/0x50
[ 100.275024] ? kasan_set_track+0x29/0x40
[ 100.275536] ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger+0x10/0x10
[ 100.276138] ? ksys_write+0xd1/0x170
[ 100.276607] ? do_syscall_64+0x3c/0x90
[ 100.277099] ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8
[ 100.277771] ? destroy_hist_data+0x446/0x470
[ 100.278324] ? event_hist_trigger_parse+0xa6c/0x3860
[ 100.278962] ? __pfx_event_hist_trigger_parse+0x10/0x10
[ 100.279627] ? __kasan_check_write+0x18/0x20
[ 100.280177] ? mutex_unlock+0x85/0xd0
[ 100.280660] ? __pfx_mutex_unlock+0x10/0x10
[ 100.281200] ? kfree+0x7b/0x120
[ 100.281619] ? ____kasan_slab_free+0x15d/0x1d0
[ 100.282197] ? event_trigger_write+0xac/0x100
[ 100.282764] ? __kasan_slab_free+0x16/0x20
[ 100.283293] ? __kmem_cache_free+0x153/0x2f0
[ 100.283844] ? sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0xb1/0x250
[ 100.284550] ? __pfx_sched_mm_cid_remote_clear+0x10/0x10
[ 100.285221] ? event_trigger_write+0xbc/0x100
[ 100.285781] ? __kasan_check_read+0x15/0x20
[ 100.286321] ? __bitmap_weight+0x66/0xa0
[ 100.286833] ? _find_next_bit+0x46/0xe0
[ 100.287334] ? task_mm_cid_work+0x37f/0x450
[ 100.287872] event_triggers_call+0x84/0x150
[ 100.288408] trace_event_buffer_commit+0x339/0x430
[ 100.289073] ? ring_buffer_event_data+0x3f/0x60
[ 100.292189] trace_event_raw_event_sys_enter+0x8b/0xe0
[ 100.295434] syscall_trace_enter.constprop.0+0x18f/0x1b0
[ 100.298653] syscall_enter_from_user_mode+0x32/0x40
[ 100.301808] do_syscall_64+0x1a/0x90
[ 100.304748] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0xd8
[ 100.307775] RIP: 0033:0x7f686c75c1cb
[ 100.310617] Code: 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 65 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 83 c8 ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 90 f3 0f 1e fa b8 21 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 35 3c 10 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48
[ 100.317847] RSP: 002b:00007ffc60137a38 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000021
[ 100.321200] RA
---truncated---
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1576f0df7b4d1f82db588d6654b89d796fa06929 Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4815359056083c555f97a5ee3af86519be5166de Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4a540f63618e525e433b37d2b5522cda08e321d7 Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ffad1528e81c91769d9da1f8436080861c8ec67 Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5fd32eb6fa0ac795aa5a64bc004ab68d7b44196a Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6018b585e8c6fa7d85d4b38d9ce49a5b67be7078 Patch
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/97f54b330c797ed27fba8791baeaa38ace886cbd Patch
Severity
7.8
High
CVSS 3.1: 7.8 (NVD)
Exploitation
EPSS <1%
Type
CWE-416Use After Free
Timeline
Published4 Oct 2025
Updated4 Aug 2026
First seen6 Mar 2026
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