// For flags

CVE-2024-55916

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

Severity Score

4.7
*CVSS v3

Exploit Likelihood

*EPSS

Affected Versions

*CPE

Public Exploits

0
*Multiple Sources

Exploited in Wild

-
*KEV

Decision

-
*SSVC
Descriptions

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.

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.

*Credits: N/A
CVSS Scores
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
High
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High
Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Medium
Authentication
None
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
Complete
* Common Vulnerability Scoring System
SSVC
  • Decision:-
Exploitation
-
Automatable
-
Tech. Impact
-
* Organization's Worst-case Scenario
Timeline
  • 2025-01-09 CVE Reserved
  • 2025-01-11 CVE Published
  • 2025-01-11 CVE Updated
  • ---------- EPSS Updated
  • ---------- Exploited in Wild
  • ---------- KEV Due Date
  • ---------- First Exploit
CWE
CAPEC
Affected Vendors, Products, and Versions
Vendor Product Version Other Status
Vendor Product Version Other Status <-- --> Vendor Product Version Other Status
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 4.9 < 5.4.289
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 4.9 < 5.4.289"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 4.9 < 5.10.233
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 4.9 < 5.10.233"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 4.9 < 5.15.176
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 4.9 < 5.15.176"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 4.9 < 6.1.122
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 4.9 < 6.1.122"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 4.9 < 6.6.68
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 4.9 < 6.6.68"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 4.9 < 6.12.7
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 4.9 < 6.12.7"
en
Affected
Linux
Search vendor "Linux"
Linux Kernel
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel"
>= 4.9 < 6.13-rc4
Search vendor "Linux" for product "Linux Kernel" and version " >= 4.9 < 6.13-rc4"
en
Affected