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TI-2021-21606 Aliases CVE-2021-46939GHSA-8h6j-vxpr-4ff5

tracing: Restructure trace_clock_global() to never block

Priority LOW 24CWE-400Published · Updated

Key facts

Attack vector
Local
Privileges required
Low
User interaction
None
Attack complexity
Low
Impact type
Denial of service
Confidentiality · integrity · availability
None · None · High
Fix status
Partial Red Hat: 4 fixed, 2 without a fix

Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-400.

Summary

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

Why it matters now

Exploitation None reported CISA SSVC · not in CISA KEV
EPSS 0.00246 16th percentileScored 2026-11-07
Fix Partial Linux (Linux): 4.4.269, 4.9.269, 4.14.233 +6Red Hat: 2 advisoriesRed Hat: 4 fixed, 2 without a fix

SSVC decision points

CISA ADP · SSVC 2.0.3

Exploitation
None
Automatable
No
Technical impact
Partial

The decision (Track, Attend, Act) also depends on your mission and well-being impact; see CISA's SSVC guide.

Affected products

VendorProductAffected versionsFixed inStatusSource
LinuxLinux2.6.30 and later4.4.269, 4.9.269, 4.14.233, 4.19.191, 5.4.118, 5.10.36, 5.11.20, 5.12.3, 5.13Patch availableCNA
  • Linux VendorLinux Affected 2.6.30 and later Fixed in 4.4.269, 4.9.269, 4.14.233, 4.19.191, 5.4.118, 5.10.36, 5.11.20, 5.12.3, 5.13 Patch available CNA

CPE configurations NVD · 1

CPEVersionsRoleVendor
cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*2.6.30 to before 4.4.269; 4.5.0 to before 4.9.269; 4.10.0 to before 4.14.233; 4.15.0 to before 4.19.191; 4.20.0 to before 5.4.118; 5.5.0 to before 5.10.36; 5.11.0 to before 5.11.20; 5.12.0 to before 5.12.3VulnerableLinux
  • cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 2.6.30 to before 4.4.269; 4.5.0 to before 4.9.269; 4.10.0 to before 4.14.233; 4.15.0 to before 4.19.191; 4.20.0 to before 5.4.118; 5.5.0 to before 5.10.36; 5.11.0 to before 5.11.20; 5.12.0 to before 5.12.3 Vulnerable ·Linux

Remediation

  • Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.4.269, 4.9.269, 4.14.233, 4.19.191, 5.4.118, 5.10.36, 5.11.20, 5.12.3, 5.13

Red Hat 2 advisories

  • RHSA-2024:5101 Released 2024-08-08 · Red Hat rating Important
    kernel security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8) bpftool-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10, kernel-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10, kernel-abi-stablelists-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10 +19
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8) kernel-tools-libs-devel-4.18.0-553.16.1.el8_10
  • RHSA-2024:5102 Released 2024-08-08 · Red Hat rating Important
    kernel-rt security update
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10 +9
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8) kernel-rt-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-core-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10, kernel-rt-debug-4.18.0-553.16.1.rt7.357.el8_10 +7

Vendor assessments

Red Hat

Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →

ProductStatusPlan or fix
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7AffectedNo fix planned: Out of support scope
Red Hat Enterprise Linux BaseOS (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2024:5101
Red Hat Enterprise Linux CRB (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2024:5101
Red Hat Enterprise Linux NFV (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2024:5102
Red Hat Enterprise Linux RT (v. 8)Fixed RHSA-2024:5102
Not affected: 1 product
  • Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Timeline

  1. 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-46939
  2. 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8h6j-vxpr-4ff5

References

  • TI-2025-26358 tls: fix handling of zero-length records on the rx_list KEVCVSS 3.1CRITICAL 9.8
  • TI-2026-38352 netfilter: bridge: make ebt_snat ARP rewrite writable KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2013-05264 The (1) get_user and (2) put_user API functions in the Linux kernel before 3.5.5 on the… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.8
  • TI-2022-00125 Integer overflow in kernel KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2013-01864 The perf_swevent_init function in kernel/events/core.c in the Linux kernel before 3.8.9… KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.4
  • TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
See all 15278 →

Sources