tracing/synthetic: Fix races on freeing last_cmd
Summary
| CVE | CVE-2023-53478 |
|---|---|
| State | PUBLISHED |
| Assigner | Linux |
| Source Priority | CVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback |
| Published | 2025-10-01 12:15:50 UTC |
| Updated | 2026-08-04 10:19:07 UTC |
| Description | In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing/synthetic: Fix races on freeing last_cmd Currently, the "last_cmd" variable can be accessed by multiple processes asynchronously when multiple users manipulate synthetic_events node at the same time, it could lead to use-after-free or double-free. This patch add "lastcmd_mutex" to prevent "last_cmd" from being accessed asynchronously. ================================================================ It's easy to reproduce in the KASAN environment by running the two scripts below in different shells. script 1: while : do echo -n -e '\x88' > /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events done script 2: while : do echo -n -e '\xb0' > /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events done ================================================================ double-free scenario: process A process B ------------------- --------------- 1.kstrdup last_cmd 2.free last_cmd 3.free last_cmd(double-free) ================================================================ use-after-free scenario: process A process B ------------------- --------------- 1.kstrdup last_cmd 2.free last_cmd 3.tracing_log_err(use-after-free) ================================================================ Appendix 1. KASAN report double-free: BUG: KASAN: double-free in kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 Free of addr ***** by task sh/4879 Call trace: ... kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x60/0x1e8 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ... Allocated by task 4879: ... kstrdup+0x5c/0x98 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x6c/0x1e8 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ... Freed by task 5464: ... kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x60/0x1e8 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ... ================================================================ Appendix 2. KASAN report use-after-free: BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in strlen+0x5c/0x7c Read of size 1 at addr ***** by task sh/5483 sh: CPU: 7 PID: 5483 Comm: sh ... __asan_report_load1_noabort+0x34/0x44 strlen+0x5c/0x7c tracing_log_err+0x60/0x444 create_or_delete_synth_event+0xc4/0x204 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ... Allocated by task 5483: ... kstrdup+0x5c/0x98 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x80/0x204 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ... Freed by task 5480: ... kfree+0xdc/0x1d4 create_or_delete_synth_event+0x74/0x204 trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8 synth_events_write+0x20/0x30 vfs_write+0x200/0x830 ... |
Risk And Classification
Primary CVSS: v3.1 4.7 MEDIUM from [email protected]
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Problem Types: CWE-362
| Version | Source | Type | Score | Severity | Vector |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.1 | [email protected] | Primary | 4.7 | MEDIUM | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H |
| 3.1 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | Secondary | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
| 3.1 | CNA | DECLARED | 7.8 | HIGH | CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H |
CVSS v3.1 Breakdown
Attack Vector
LocalAttack Complexity
HighPrivileges Required
LowUser Interaction
NoneScope
UnchangedConfidentiality
NoneIntegrity
NoneAvailability
HighCVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)
| Type | Vendor | Product | Version | Update | Edition | Language |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Linux | Linux Kernel | All | All | All | All |
Vendor Declared Affected Products
| Source | Vendor | Product | Version | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 27c888da9867725784bad3d6455d6e53b425fa2b 9fe183f659a2704255e5d84f6ae308c234a113ec git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 27c888da9867725784bad3d6455d6e53b425fa2b 8826d9e7bd51e7656f78baa4472e8e2f5e7069f0 git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 27c888da9867725784bad3d6455d6e53b425fa2b 4ccf11c4e8a8e051499d53a12f502196c97a758e git | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | affected 5.18 | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 5.18 semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.1.24 6.1.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.2.11 6.2.* semver | Not specified |
| CNA | Linux | Linux | unaffected 6.3 * original_commit_for_fix | Not specified |
References
| Reference | Source | Link | Tags |
|---|---|---|---|
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/9fe183f659a2704255e5d84f6ae308c234a113ec | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | Patch |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/8826d9e7bd51e7656f78baa4472e8e2f5e7069f0 | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | Patch |
| git.kernel.org/stable/c/4ccf11c4e8a8e051499d53a12f502196c97a758e | 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 | git.kernel.org | Patch |
| CVE Program record | CVE.ORG | www.cve.org | canonical |
| NVD vulnerability detail | NVD | nvd.nist.gov | canonical, analysis |
No vendor comments have been submitted for this CVE.
There are currently no legacy QID mappings associated with this CVE.