CVE-2023-52699: sysv: don't call sb_bread() with pointers_lock held

Published May 19, 2024
·
Updated

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

sysv: don't call sbbread() with pointerslock held

syzbot is reporting sleep in atomic context in SysV filesystem [1], for sbbread() is called with rwspinlock held.

A "writelock(&pointerslock) => readlock(&pointerslock) deadlock" bug and a "sbbread() with writelock(&pointerslock)" bug were introduced by "Replace BKL for chain locking with sysvfs-private rwlock" in Linux 2.5.12.

Then, "[PATCH] err1-40: sysvfs locking fix" in Linux 2.6.8 fixed the former bug by moving pointerslock lock to the callers, but instead introduced a "sbbread() with readlock(&pointerslock)" bug (which made this problem easier to hit).

Al Viro suggested that why not to do like getbranch()/getblock()/ findshared() in Minix filesystem does. And doing like that is almost a revert of "[PATCH] err1-40: sysvfs locking fix" except that getbranch() from with findshared() is called without writelock(&pointerslock).

Affected Software

9 affected componentsFixes available
Linux Linux kernel<4.19.312
Linux Linux kernel>=4.20<5.4.274
Linux Linux kernel>=5.5<5.10.215
Linux Linux kernel>=5.11<5.15.155
Linux Linux kernel>=5.16<6.1.86
Linux Linux kernel>=6.2<6.6.27
Linux Linux kernel>=6.7<6.8.6
Debian Debian Linux=10.0
debian/linux
5.10.223-15.10.234-16.1.129-16.1.135-16.12.25-16.12.27-1

Event History

May 19, 2024
CVE Published
via MITRE·10:10 AM
Data Sourced
via MITRE·10:10 AM
Description
Jul 15, 2024
Data Sourced
via Launchpad·07:45 PM
Description
Apr 26, 2025
Data Sourced
via Ubuntu·11:50 PM
RemedyDescriptionSeverityAffected Software
May 8, 2025
Data Sourced
via Debian·11:54 PM
DescriptionAffected Software

Frequently Asked Questions

1

What is the severity of CVE-2023-52699?

CVE-2023-52699 is classified as a vulnerability in the Linux kernel affecting the SysV filesystem.

2

How do I fix CVE-2023-52699?

To fix CVE-2023-52699, you should update your Linux kernel to the patched versions 5.10.223-1, 5.10.226-1, 6.1.119-1, 6.1.123-1, 6.12.10-1, or 6.12.11-1.

3

What specific problem does CVE-2023-52699 address?

CVE-2023-52699 addresses an issue where sb_bread() can be called while holding pointers_lock, potentially causing sleep in atomic context.

4

Which software versions are affected by CVE-2023-52699?

Affected software versions for CVE-2023-52699 include certain prior releases of the Linux kernel before the aforementioned patched versions.

5

Is CVE-2023-52699 a critical vulnerability?

While not designated as critical, CVE-2023-52699 poses potential risks to system stability and performance due to its nature.

Contact

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