CVE-2024-38613

m68k: Fix spinlock race in kernel thread creation

MEDIUM
4.7
CVSS Score
Published: June 19, 2024 at 01:56 PM UTC
Updated: June 17, 2026 at 07:40 AM UTC
1 product affected across 1 vendorLinux Kernel

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Severity
MEDIUM4.7
Exploit prediction
EPSS 0.2%
SSVC
No known exploit

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: m68k: Fix spinlock race in kernel thread creation Context switching does take care to retain the correct lock owner across the switch from 'prev' to 'next' tasks. This does rely on interrupts remaining disabled for the entire duration of the switch. This condition is guaranteed for normal process creation and context switching between already running processes, because both 'prev' and 'next' already have interrupts disabled in their saved copies of the status register. The situation is different for newly created kernel threads. The status register is set to PS_S in copy_thread(), which does leave the IPL at 0. Upon restoring the 'next' thread's status register in switch_to() aka resume(), interrupts then become enabled prematurely. resume() then returns via ret_from_kernel_thread() and schedule_tail() where run queue lock is released (see finish_task_switch() and finish_lock_switch()). A timer interrupt calling scheduler_tick() before the lock is released in finish_task_switch() will find the lock already taken, with the current task as lock owner. This causes a spinlock recursion warning as reported by Guenter Roeck. As far as I can ascertain, this race has been opened in commit 533e6903bea0 ("m68k: split ret_from_fork(), simplify kernel_thread()") but I haven't done a detailed study of kernel history so it may well predate that commit. Interrupts cannot be disabled in the saved status register copy for kernel threads (init will complain about interrupts disabled when finally starting user space). Disable interrupts temporarily when switching the tasks' register sets in resume(). Note that a simple oriw 0x700,%sr after restoring sr is not enough here - this leaves enough of a race for the 'spinlock recursion' warning to still be observed. Tested on ARAnyM and qemu (Quadra 800 emulation).

Affected

Our own answer: ranges merged, affected separated from platform-only, with confidence and review flags.

3.7 ≤ v < 4.19.3163.7 ≤ v < 5.10.2193.7 ≤ v < 5.15.1613.7 ≤ v < 5.4.2783.7 ≤ v < 6.1.933.7 ≤ v < 6.103.7 ≤ v < 6.6.333.7 ≤ v < 6.8.123.7 ≤ v < 6.9.34.20 ≤ v < 5.4.2785.11 ≤ v < 5.15.1615.16 ≤ v < 6.1.935.5 ≤ v < 5.10.2196.2 ≤ v < 6.6.336.7 ≤ v < 6.8.126.9 ≤ v < 6.9.33.7533e6903bea0440816a0f517b0845ccea4cc7917
Vendor states this is fixed in 0d9ae1253535f6e85a016e09c25ecbe6f7f59ef0 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 2a8d1d95302c7d52c6ac8fa5cb4a6948ae0d3a14 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4eeffecc8e3cce25bb559502c2fd94a948bcde82 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5213cc01d0464c011fdc09f318705603ed3a746b (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 77b2b67a0f8bce260c53907e5749d61466d90c87 (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 95f00caf767b5968c2c51083957b38be4748a78a (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in da89ce46f02470ef08f0f580755d14d547da59ed (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f1d4274a84c069be0f6098ab10c3443fc1f7134c (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in f3baf0f4f92af32943ebf27b960e0552c6c082fd (fixed)
Vendor states this is fixed in 3.7 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 4.19.316 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.10.219 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.15.161 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 5.4.278 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.1.93 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.10 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.6.33 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.8.12 (unaffected)
Vendor states this is fixed in 6.9.3 (unaffected)

References (9)

Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d9ae1253535f6e85a016e09c25ecbe6f7f59ef0
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a8d1d95302c7d52c6ac8fa5cb4a6948ae0d3a14
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4eeffecc8e3cce25bb559502c2fd94a948bcde82
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5213cc01d0464c011fdc09f318705603ed3a746b
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/77b2b67a0f8bce260c53907e5749d61466d90c87
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/95f00caf767b5968c2c51083957b38be4748a78a
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/da89ce46f02470ef08f0f580755d14d547da59ed
Patch
Source: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f1d4274a84c069be0f6098ab10c3443fc1f7134c

SSVC — Action Prioritization

SSVCNo known exploitNot automatablePartial impact

SSVC signals action urgency (what to patch first), separate from CVSS which measures severity.

CVSS

Attack Vector
LOCAL
Complexity
HIGH
Privileges
LOW
User Interaction
NONE
Scope
UNCHANGED
Confidentiality
NONE
Integrity
NONE
Availability
HIGH
Vector?

Quick Info

StatusANALYZED
CWE
CWE-362

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