tty: fix deadlock caused by calling printk() under tty_port->lock
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: 3 without a fix
Attack profile from CVSS 3.1 · CISA ADP. Fix status from CNA and Red Hat. Impact type from CWE-667 and the CVSS impact.
Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tty: fix deadlock caused by calling printk() under tty_port->lock pty_write() invokes kmalloc() which may invoke a normal printk() to print failure message. This can cause a deadlock in the scenario reported by syz-bot below: CPU0 CPU1 CPU2 ---- ---- ---- lock(console_owner); lock(&port_lock_key); lock(&port->lock); lock(&port_lock_key); lock(&port->lock); lock(console_owner); As commit dbdda842fe96 ("printk: Add console owner and waiter logic to load balance console writes") said, such deadlock can be prevented by using printk_deferred() in kmalloc() (which is invoked in the section guarded by the port->lock). But there are too many printk() on the kmalloc() path, and kmalloc() can be called from anywhere, so changing printk() to printk_deferred() is too complicated and inelegant. Therefore, this patch chooses to specify __GFP_NOWARN to kmalloc(), so that printk() will not be called, and this deadlock problem can be avoided. Syzbot reported the following lockdep error: ====================================================== WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected 5.4.143-00237-g08ccc19a-dirty #10 Not tainted ------------------------------------------------------ syz-executor.4/29420 is trying to acquire lock: ffffffff8aedb2a0 (console_owner){....}-{0:0}, at: console_trylock_spinning kernel/printk/printk.c:1752 [inline] ffffffff8aedb2a0 (console_owner){....}-{0:0}, at: vprintk_emit+0x2ca/0x470 kernel/printk/printk.c:2023 but task is already holding lock: ffff8880119c9158 (&port->lock){-.-.}-{2:2}, at: pty_write+0xf4/0x1f0 drivers/tty/pty.c:120 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #2 (&port->lock){-.-.}-{2:2}: __raw_spin_lock_irqsave include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:110 [inline] _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x35/0x50 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:159 tty_port_tty_get drivers/tty/tty_port.c:288 [inline] <-- lock(&port->lock); tty_port_default_wakeup+0x1d/0xb0 drivers/tty/tty_port.c:47 serial8250_tx_chars+0x530/0xa80 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1767 serial8250_handle_irq.part.0+0x31f/0x3d0 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1854 serial8250_handle_irq drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1827 [inline] <-- lock(&port_lock_key); serial8250_default_handle_irq+0xb2/0x220 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1870 serial8250_interrupt+0xfd/0x200 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_core.c:126 __handle_irq_event_percpu+0x109/0xa50 kernel/irq/handle.c:156 [...] -> #1 (&port_lock_key){-.-.}-{2:2}: __raw_spin_lock_irqsave include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:110 [inline] _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x35/0x50 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:159 serial8250_console_write+0x184/0xa40 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:3198 <-- lock(&port_lock_key); call_console_drivers kernel/printk/printk.c:1819 [inline] console_unlock+0x8cb/0xd00 kernel/printk/printk.c:2504 vprintk_emit+0x1b5/0x470 kernel/printk/printk.c:2024 <-- lock(console_owner); vprintk_func+0x8d/0x250 kernel/printk/printk_safe.c:394 printk+0xba/0xed kernel/printk/printk.c:2084 register_console+0x8b3/0xc10 kernel/printk/printk.c:2829 univ8250_console_init+0x3a/0x46 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_core.c:681 console_init+0x49d/0x6d3 kernel/printk/printk.c:2915 start_kernel+0x5e9/0x879 init/main.c:713 secondary_startup_64+0xa4/0xb0 arch/x86/kernel/head_64.S:241 -> #0 (console_owner){....}-{0:0}: [...] lock_acquire+0x127/0x340 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:4734 console_trylock_spinning kernel/printk/printk.c:1773 ---truncated---
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 | 4.9.117 to before 4.9.318; 4.14.60 to before 4.14.283; 3.18.118 to before 3.19; 4.4.146 to before 4.5; 4.17.12 to before 4.18 | 4.9.318, 4.14.283, 3.19, 4.5, 4.18 | Patch available | CNA |
| Linux | Linux | 4.18 and later | 4.9.318, 4.14.283, 4.19.247, 5.4.198, 5.10.121, 5.15.46, 5.17.14, 5.18.3, 5.19 | Patch available | CNA |
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.9.117 to before 4.9.318; 4.14.60 to before 4.14.283; 3.18.118 to before 3.19; 4.4.146 to before 4.5; 4.17.12 to before 4.18 Fixed in 4.9.318, 4.14.283, 3.19, 4.5, 4.18 Patch available CNA
- Linux VendorLinux Affected 4.18 and later Fixed in 4.9.318, 4.14.283, 4.19.247, 5.4.198, 5.10.121, 5.15.46, 5.17.14, 5.18.3, 5.19 Patch available CNA
CPE configurations NVD · 1
| CPE | Versions | Role | Vendor |
|---|---|---|---|
| cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* | 3.18.118 to before 3.19; 4.4.146 to before 4.5; 4.9.117 to before 4.9.318; 4.14.60 to before 4.14.283; 4.17.12 to before 4.19.247; 4.20 to before 5.4.198; 5.5 to before 5.10.121; 5.11 to before 5.15.46; 5.16 to before 5.17.14; 5.18 to before 5.18.3 | Vulnerable | Linux |
- cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:* Versions 3.18.118 to before 3.19; 4.4.146 to before 4.5; 4.9.117 to before 4.9.318; 4.14.60 to before 4.14.283; 4.17.12 to before 4.19.247; 4.20 to before 5.4.198; 5.5 to before 5.10.121; 5.11 to before 5.15.46; 5.16 to before 5.17.14; 5.18 to before 5.18.3 Vulnerable ·Linux
Remediation
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.9.318, 4.14.283, 3.19, 4.5, 4.18
- Fix · CNA Linux (Linux) Fixed in 4.9.318, 4.14.283, 4.19.247, 5.4.198, 5.10.121, 5.15.46, 5.17.14, 5.18.3, 5.19
Vendor assessments
Red Hat
Red Hat rating: Moderate. Red Hat's page for this CVE →
| Product | Status | Plan or fix |
|---|---|---|
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 7 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 | Affected | No fix planned: Out of support scope |
| Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9 | Affected | No fix yet |
Not affected: 2 products
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 10
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6
Timeline
- 2026-10-02 Threatist record created from CVE-2022-49441
- 2026-10-03 Alias added: GHSA-c7gr-crgh-pwcp
References
Patch 9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4af21b12a60ed2d3642284f4f85b42d7dc6ac246
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c253caf9264d2aa47ee806a87986dd8eb91a5d9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04ee31678c128a6cc7bb057ea189a8624ba5a314
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3219ac364ac3d8d30771612a6010f1e0b7fa0a28
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9834b13e8b962caa28fbcf1f422dd82413da4ede
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18ca0d55e8639b911df8aae1b47598b13f9acded
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b3c974501d0c32258ae0e04e5cc3fb92383b40f6
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0bcf44903ef4df742dcada86ccaedd25374ffb50
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b9dbedbe3499fef862c4dff5217cf91f34e43b3
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- 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
Sources
- CVE-2022-49441 · CVE Program
- CVE-2022-49441 · NVD
- FIRST EPSS
- GHSA-c7gr-crgh-pwcp · GitHub Advisory Database · CC BY 4.0
- CVE-2022-49441 · Red Hat security data · CC BY 4.0
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