CVE-2020-12657: Use After Free
A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's implementation of the BFQ IO scheduler. This flaw allows a local user able to groom system memory to cause kernel memory corruption and possible privilege escalation by abusing a race condition in the IO scheduler.
Other sources
An issue was discovered in the Linux kernel before 5.6.5. There is a use-after-free in block/bfq-iosched.c related to bfqidleslicetimerbody.
— Ubuntu
An issue was discovered in the Linux kernels implementation of BFQ IO scheduler. A local user who is able to groom system memory may be able to cause kernel memory corruption and possibly privilege escalation through abusing a race condition in the IO scheduler.
— Red Hat
Affected Software
Remediation
Recommended actions to resolve this vulnerability, in priority order.
- Upgrade
Upgrade
redhat/kernel-rtto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 0:4.18.0-193.6.3.rt13.59.el8_2 - Upgrade
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redhat/kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 0:4.18.0-193.6.3.el8_2 - Upgrade
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redhat/kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 0:4.18.0-80.23.2.el8_0 - Upgrade
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redhat/kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 0:4.18.0-147.20.1.el8_1 - Upgrade
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redhat/kernelto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.6.5 - Upgrade
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debian/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 6.1.176-1Fixed in 6.1.190-1Fixed in 6.12.107-1Fixed in 6.12.113-1Fixed in 7.2.12-1Fixed in 7.2.13-1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1083.93~14.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-hweto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1067.71~16.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1083.93~16.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1071.81~16.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-hweto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-101.102~16.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1039.43~16.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-101.102 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1067.71 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-5.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.3.0-1019.21~18.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-4.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1083.93 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-5.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.3.0-1022.23~18.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gcp-5.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.3.0-1020.22~18.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gke-4.15to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1059.62 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gke-5.0to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.0.0-1037.38 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-gke-5.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.3.0-1020.22~18.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-hweto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.3.0-53.47~18.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-kvmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1060.61 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oemto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1081.91 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oem-osp1to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.0.0-1052.57 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1039.43 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-oracle-5.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.3.0-1018.20~18.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-raspi2to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1062.66 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-raspi2-5.3to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.3.0-1026.28~18.04.1 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-snapdragonto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1079.86 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-aws-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-2018.18 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-azure-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-2006.7 - Upgrade
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ubuntu/linux-fipsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 4.15.0-1029.34 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linuxto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-31.35 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-awsto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-1011.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-azureto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-1012.12 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-gcpto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-1011.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-kvmto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-1011.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oem-5.6to a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.6.0-1010.10 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-oracleto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-1011.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-raspito a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-1011.11 - Upgrade
Upgrade
ubuntu/linux-riscvto a version that resolves this vulnerability.Fixed in 5.4.0-26.30 - Configuration
Change the I/O scheduler for all block devices from bfq to mq-deadline, or another available non-BFQ scheduler, and configure the change persistently across system reboots.
Linux block devices I/O scheduler = mq-deadline
Event History
Parent advisories
This vulnerability appears in the following advisories.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the severity of CVE-2020-12657?
CVE-2020-12657 has been classified with a high severity level due to its potential for privilege escalation and kernel memory corruption.
How do I fix CVE-2020-12657?
To mitigate CVE-2020-12657, you should update to the latest kernel version provided by your distribution, such as kernel-rt 0:4.18.0-193.6.3.rt13.59.el8_2 or higher.
Who is affected by CVE-2020-12657?
CVE-2020-12657 affects users running specific versions of the Linux kernel, including those versions prior to the recommended patches.
What systems are impacted by CVE-2020-12657?
The vulnerability primarily impacts Linux distributions such as Red Hat and Debian that utilize the BFQ IO scheduler.
Is CVE-2020-12657 exploitable remotely?
CVE-2020-12657 is not considered remotely exploitable as it requires local access to exploit the vulnerability.