x86: stop playing stack games in profile_pc()

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Summary

CVECVE-2024-42096
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2024-07-29 18:15:12 UTC
Updated2026-05-12 12:17:04 UTC
DescriptionIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: x86: stop playing stack games in profile_pc() The 'profile_pc()' function is used for timer-based profiling, which isn't really all that relevant any more to begin with, but it also ends up making assumptions based on the stack layout that aren't necessarily valid. Basically, the code tries to account the time spent in spinlocks to the caller rather than the spinlock, and while I support that as a concept, it's not worth the code complexity or the KASAN warnings when no serious profiling is done using timers anyway these days. And the code really does depend on stack layout that is only true in the simplest of cases. We've lost the comment at some point (I think when the 32-bit and 64-bit code was unified), but it used to say: Assume the lock function has either no stack frame or a copy of eflags from PUSHF. which explains why it just blindly loads a word or two straight off the stack pointer and then takes a minimal look at the values to just check if they might be eflags or the return pc: Eflags always has bits 22 and up cleared unlike kernel addresses but that basic stack layout assumption assumes that there isn't any lock debugging etc going on that would complicate the code and cause a stack frame. It causes KASAN unhappiness reported for years by syzkaller [1] and others [2]. With no real practical reason for this any more, just remove the code. Just for historical interest, here's some background commits relating to this code from 2006: 0cb91a229364 ("i386: Account spinlocks to the caller during profiling for !FP kernels") 31679f38d886 ("Simplify profile_pc on x86-64") and a code unification from 2009: ef4512882dbe ("x86: time_32/64.c unify profile_pc") but the basics of this thing actually goes back to before the git tree.

Risk And Classification

Primary CVSS: v3.1 5.5 MEDIUM from [email protected]

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

Problem Types: CWE-908

CVSS v3.1 Breakdown

Attack Vector
Local
Attack Complexity
Low
Privileges Required
Low
User Interaction
None
Scope
Unchanged
Confidentiality
None
Integrity
None
Availability
High

CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

NVD Known Affected Configurations (CPE 2.3)

TypeVendorProductVersionUpdateEditionLanguage
Operating System Linux Linux Kernel All All All All

Vendor Declared Affected Products

SourceVendorProductVersionPlatforms
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 65ebdde16e7f5da99dbf8a548fb635837d78384e git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 27c3be840911b15a3f24ed623f86153c825b6b29 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 49c09ca35a5f521d7fa18caf62fdf378f15e8aa4 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 2d07fea561d64357fb7b3f3751e653bf20306d77 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 161cef818545ecf980f0e2ebaf8ba7326ce53c2b git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 16222beb9f8e5ceb0beeb5cbe54bef16df501a92 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 a3b65c8cbc139bfce9541bc81c1bb766e5ba3f68 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 1da177e4c3f41524e886b7f1b8a0c1fc7321cac2 093d9603b60093a9aaae942db56107f6432a5dca git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 2.6.12 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 2.6.12 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 4.19.317 4.19.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.4.279 5.4.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.10.221 5.10.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.15.162 5.15.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.1.97 6.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.6.37 6.6.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.9.8 6.9.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.10 * original_commit_for_fix Not specified
ADP Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 TM MFP - GNU/Linux Subsystem affected * custom Not specified
ADP Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518-4 PN/DP MFP affected V3.1.0 V3.1.5 custom Not specified
ADP Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518-4 PN/DP MFP affected V3.1.0 V3.1.5 custom Not specified
ADP Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518F-4 PN/DP MFP affected V3.1.0 V3.1.5 custom Not specified
ADP Siemens SIMATIC S7-1500 CPU 1518F-4 PN/DP MFP affected V3.1.0 V3.1.5 custom Not specified
ADP Siemens SIPLUS S7-1500 CPU 1518-4 PN/DP MFP affected V3.1.0 V3.1.5 custom Not specified

References

ReferenceSourceLinkTags
git.kernel.org/stable/c/161cef818545ecf980f0e2ebaf8ba7326ce53c2b af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e cert-portal.siemens.com
git.kernel.org/stable/c/2d07fea561d64357fb7b3f3751e653bf20306d77 af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/a3b65c8cbc139bfce9541bc81c1bb766e5ba3f68 af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-265688.html 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e cert-portal.siemens.com
git.kernel.org/stable/c/65ebdde16e7f5da99dbf8a548fb635837d78384e af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/093d9603b60093a9aaae942db56107f6432a5dca af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/01/msg00001.html af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 lists.debian.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/16222beb9f8e5ceb0beeb5cbe54bef16df501a92 af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/49c09ca35a5f521d7fa18caf62fdf378f15e8aa4 af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/27c3be840911b15a3f24ed623f86153c825b6b29 af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 git.kernel.org Patch
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