tracing: Restructure trace_clock_global() to never block
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
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
| Vendor | Product | Affected versions | Fixed in | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 2.6.30 and later | 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 |
- 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
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 5.12.3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- 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 Importantkernel 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 Importantkernel-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 →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No 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
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-46939
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-8h6j-vxpr-4ff5
References
Patch 9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/91ca6f6a91f679c8645d7f3307e03ce86ad518c4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/859b47a43f5a0e5b9a92b621dc6ceaad39fb5c8b
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/1fca00920327be96f3318224f502e4d5460f9545
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d43d56dbf452ccecc1ec735cd4b6840118005d7c
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/c64da3294a7d59a4bf6874c664c13be892f15f44
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a33614d52e97fc8077eb0b292189ca7d964cc534
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6e2418576228eeb12e7ba82edb8f9500623942ff
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a1bd74b8186d7938bf004f5603f25b84785f63e
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/aafe104aa9096827a429bc1358f8260ee565b7cc
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Sources
- CVE-2021-46939 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-46939 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-8h6j-vxpr-4ff5 · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2021-46939 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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