drm/msm: Fix mmap to include VM_IO and VM_DONTDUMP
Key facts
- Attack vector
- Local
- Privileges required
- Low
- User interaction
- None
- Attack complexity
- Low
- Impact type
- —
- Confidentiality · integrity · availability
- None · None · High
- Fix status
- Fixed
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · NVD. Fix status from CNA.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: drm/msm: Fix mmap to include VM_IO and VM_DONTDUMP In commit 510410bfc034 ("drm/msm: Implement mmap as GEM object function") we switched to a new/cleaner method of doing things. That's good, but we missed a little bit. Before that commit, we used to _first_ run through the drm_gem_mmap_obj() case where `obj->funcs->mmap()` was NULL. That meant that we ran: vma->vm_flags |= VM_IO | VM_PFNMAP | VM_DONTEXPAND | VM_DONTDUMP; vma->vm_page_prot = pgprot_writecombine(vm_get_page_prot(vma->vm_flags)); vma->vm_page_prot = pgprot_decrypted(vma->vm_page_prot); ...and _then_ we modified those mappings with our own. Now that `obj->funcs->mmap()` is no longer NULL we don't run the default code. It looks like the fact that the vm_flags got VM_IO / VM_DONTDUMP was important because we're now getting crashes on Chromebooks that use ARC++ while logging out. Specifically a crash that looks like this (this is on a 5.10 kernel w/ relevant backports but also seen on a 5.15 kernel): Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address ffffffc008000000 Mem abort info: ESR = 0x96000006 EC = 0x25: DABT (current EL), IL = 32 bits SET = 0, FnV = 0 EA = 0, S1PTW = 0 Data abort info: ISV = 0, ISS = 0x00000006 CM = 0, WnR = 0 swapper pgtable: 4k pages, 39-bit VAs, pgdp=000000008293d000 [ffffffc008000000] pgd=00000001002b3003, p4d=00000001002b3003, pud=00000001002b3003, pmd=0000000000000000 Internal error: Oops: 96000006 [#1] PREEMPT SMP [...] CPU: 7 PID: 15734 Comm: crash_dump64 Tainted: G W 5.10.67 #1 [...] Hardware name: Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. sc7280 IDP SKU2 platform (DT) pstate: 80400009 (Nzcv daif +PAN -UAO -TCO BTYPE=--) pc : __arch_copy_to_user+0xc0/0x30c lr : copyout+0xac/0x14c [...] Call trace: __arch_copy_to_user+0xc0/0x30c copy_page_to_iter+0x1a0/0x294 process_vm_rw_core+0x240/0x408 process_vm_rw+0x110/0x16c __arm64_sys_process_vm_readv+0x30/0x3c el0_svc_common+0xf8/0x250 do_el0_svc+0x30/0x80 el0_svc+0x10/0x1c el0_sync_handler+0x78/0x108 el0_sync+0x184/0x1c0 Code: f8408423 f80008c3 910020c6 36100082 (b8404423) Let's add the two flags back in. While we're at it, the fact that we aren't running the default means that we _don't_ need to clear out VM_PFNMAP, so remove that and save an instruction. NOTE: it was confirmed that VM_IO was the important flag to fix the problem I was seeing, but adding back VM_DONTDUMP seems like a sane thing to do so I'm doing that too.
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 | 5.15 and later | 5.15.7, 5.16 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 5.15 and later Fixed in 5.15.7, 5.16 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 4
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.15 to before 5.15.7 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc1 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc2 | Vulnerable | Linux |
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* | 5.16 rc3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.15 to before 5.15.7 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc1 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc2 Vulnerable ·Linux
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:5.16:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 5.16 rc3 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 5.15.7, 5.16
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
Not affected: 4 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2021-47531
References
More Linux Kernel vulnerabilities
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- TI-2021-05514 Heap Out-Of-Bounds Write in Netfilter IP6T_SO_SET_REPLACE KEVCVSS 3.1HIGH 8.3
Sources
- CVE-2021-47531 · CVE Program
- CVE-2021-47531 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- CVE-2021-47531 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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