In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: sctp: fix possible UAF in sctp_v6_available() A lockdep report [1] with CONFIG_PROVE_RCU_LIST=y hints that sctp_v6_available() is calling dev_get_by_index_rcu() and ipv6_chk_addr() without holding rcu. [1] ============================= WARNING: suspicious RCU usage 6.12.0-rc5-virtme #1216 Tainted: G W ----------------------------- net/core/dev.c:876 RCU-list traversed in non-reader section!! other info that might help us debug this: rcu_scheduler_active = 2, debug_locks = 1 1 lock held by sctp_hello/31495: #0: ffff9f1ebbdb7418 (sk_lock-AF_INET6){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: sctp_bind (./arch/x86/include/asm/jump_label.h:27 net/sctp/socket.c:315) sctp stack backtrace: CPU: 7 UID: 0 PID: 31495 Comm: sctp_hello Tainted: G W 6.12.0-rc5-virtme #1216 Tainted: [W]=WARN Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014 Call Trace: <TASK> dump_stack_lvl (lib/dump_stack.c:123) lockdep_rcu_suspicious (kernel/locking/lockdep.c:6822) dev_get_by_index_rcu (net/core/dev.c:876 (discriminator 7)) sctp_v6_available (net/sctp/ipv6.c:701) sctp sctp_do_bind (net/sctp/socket.c:400 (discriminator 1)) sctp sctp_bind (net/sctp/socket.c:320) sctp inet6_bind_sk (net/ipv6/af_inet6.c:465) ? security_socket_bind (security/security.c:4581 (discriminator 1)) __sys_bind (net/socket.c:1848 net/socket.c:1869) ? do_user_addr_fault (./include/linux/rcupdate.h:347 ./include/linux/rcupdate.h:880 ./include/linux/mm.h:729 arch/x86/mm/fault.c:1340) ? do_user_addr_fault (./arch/x86/include/asm/preempt.h:84 (discriminator 13) ./include/linux/rcupdate.h:98 (discriminator 13) ./include/linux/rcupdate.h:882 (discriminator 13) ./include/linux/mm.h:729 (discriminator 13) arch/x86/mm/fault.c:1340 (discriminator 13)) __x64_sys_bind (net/socket.c:1877 (discriminator 1) net/socket.c:1875 (discriminator 1) net/socket.c:1875 (discriminator 1)) do_syscall_64 (arch/x86/entry/common.c:52 (discriminator 1) arch/x86/entry/common.c:83 (discriminator 1)) entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe (arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:130) RIP: 0033:0x7f59b934a1e7 Code: 44 00 00 48 8b 15 39 8c 0c 00 f7 d8 64 89 02 b8 ff ff ff ff eb bd 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 00 b8 31 00 00 00 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 8b 0d 09 8c 0c 00 f7 d8 64 89 01 48 All code ======== 0: 44 00 00 add %r8b,(%rax) 3: 48 8b 15 39 8c 0c 00 mov 0xc8c39(%rip),%rdx # 0xc8c43 a: f7 d8 neg %eax c: 64 89 02 mov %eax,%fs:(%rdx) f: b8 ff ff ff ff mov $0xffffffff,%eax 14: eb bd jmp 0xffffffffffffffd3 16: 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 cs nopw 0x0(%rax,%rax,1) 1d: 00 00 00 20: 0f 1f 00 nopl (%rax) 23: b8 31 00 00 00 mov $0x31,%eax 28: 0f 05 syscall 2a:* 48 3d 01 f0 ff ff cmp $0xfffffffffffff001,%rax <-- trapping instruction 30: 73 01 jae 0x33 32: c3 ret 33: 48 8b 0d 09 8c 0c 00 mov 0xc8c09(%rip),%rcx # 0xc8c43 3a: f7 d8 neg %eax 3c: 64 89 01 mov %eax,%fs:(%rcx) 3f: 48 rex.W Code starting with the faulting instruction =========================================== 0: 48 3d 01 f0 ff ff cmp $0xfffffffffffff001,%rax 6: 73 01 jae 0x9 8: c3 ret 9: 48 8b 0d 09 8c 0c 00 mov 0xc8c09(%rip),%rcx # 0xc8c19 10: f7 d8 neg %eax 12: 64 89 01 mov %eax,%fs:(%rcx) 15: 48 rex.W RSP: 002b:00007ffe2d0ad398 EFLAGS: 00000202 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000031 RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00007ffe2d0ad3d0 RCX: 00007f59b934a1e7 RDX: 000000000000001c RSI: 00007ffe2d0ad3d0 RDI: 0000000000000005 RBP: 0000000000000005 R08: 1999999999999999 R09: 0000000000000000 R10: 00007f59b9253298 R11: 000000000000 ---truncated---
The product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.