mm: vmscan: account for free pages to prevent infinite Loop in throttle_direct_reclaim()

MITRE NVD CVE.ORG JSON API

Summary

CVECVE-2024-57884
StatePUBLISHED
AssignerLinux
Source PriorityCVE Program / NVD first with legacy fallback
Published2025-01-15 13:15:12 UTC
Updated2026-10-15 02:17:11 UTC
DescriptionIn the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: vmscan: account for free pages to prevent infinite Loop in throttle_direct_reclaim() The task sometimes continues looping in throttle_direct_reclaim() because allow_direct_reclaim(pgdat) keeps returning false. #0 [ffff80002cb6f8d0] __switch_to at ffff8000080095ac #1 [ffff80002cb6f900] __schedule at ffff800008abbd1c #2 [ffff80002cb6f990] schedule at ffff800008abc50c #3 [ffff80002cb6f9b0] throttle_direct_reclaim at ffff800008273550 #4 [ffff80002cb6fa20] try_to_free_pages at ffff800008277b68 #5 [ffff80002cb6fae0] __alloc_pages_nodemask at ffff8000082c4660 #6 [ffff80002cb6fc50] alloc_pages_vma at ffff8000082e4a98 #7 [ffff80002cb6fca0] do_anonymous_page at ffff80000829f5a8 #8 [ffff80002cb6fce0] __handle_mm_fault at ffff8000082a5974 #9 [ffff80002cb6fd90] handle_mm_fault at ffff8000082a5bd4 At this point, the pgdat contains the following two zones: NODE: 4 ZONE: 0 ADDR: ffff00817fffe540 NAME: "DMA32" SIZE: 20480 MIN/LOW/HIGH: 11/28/45 VM_STAT: NR_FREE_PAGES: 359 NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_ANON: 18813 NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_ANON: 0 NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_FILE: 50 NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_FILE: 0 NR_ZONE_UNEVICTABLE: 0 NR_ZONE_WRITE_PENDING: 0 NR_MLOCK: 0 NR_BOUNCE: 0 NR_ZSPAGES: 0 NR_FREE_CMA_PAGES: 0 NODE: 4 ZONE: 1 ADDR: ffff00817fffec00 NAME: "Normal" SIZE: 8454144 PRESENT: 98304 MIN/LOW/HIGH: 68/166/264 VM_STAT: NR_FREE_PAGES: 146 NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_ANON: 94668 NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_ANON: 3 NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_FILE: 735 NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_FILE: 78 NR_ZONE_UNEVICTABLE: 0 NR_ZONE_WRITE_PENDING: 0 NR_MLOCK: 0 NR_BOUNCE: 0 NR_ZSPAGES: 0 NR_FREE_CMA_PAGES: 0 In allow_direct_reclaim(), while processing ZONE_DMA32, the sum of inactive/active file-backed pages calculated in zone_reclaimable_pages() based on the result of zone_page_state_snapshot() is zero. Additionally, since this system lacks swap, the calculation of inactive/ active anonymous pages is skipped. crash> p nr_swap_pages nr_swap_pages = $1937 = { counter = 0 } As a result, ZONE_DMA32 is deemed unreclaimable and skipped, moving on to the processing of the next zone, ZONE_NORMAL, despite ZONE_DMA32 having free pages significantly exceeding the high watermark. The problem is that the pgdat->kswapd_failures hasn't been incremented. crash> px ((struct pglist_data *) 0xffff00817fffe540)->kswapd_failures $1935 = 0x0 This is because the node deemed balanced. The node balancing logic in balance_pgdat() evaluates all zones collectively. If one or more zones (e.g., ZONE_DMA32) have enough free pages to meet their watermarks, the entire node is deemed balanced. This causes balance_pgdat() to exit early before incrementing the kswapd_failures, as it considers the overall memory state acceptable, even though some zones (like ZONE_NORMAL) remain under significant pressure. The patch ensures that zone_reclaimable_pages() includes free pages (NR_FREE_PAGES) in its calculation when no other reclaimable pages are available (e.g., file-backed or anonymous pages). This change prevents zones like ZONE_DMA32, which have sufficient free pages, from being mistakenly deemed unreclaimable. By doing so, the patch ensures proper node balancing, avoids masking pressure on other zones like ZONE_NORMAL, and prevents infinite loops in throttle_direct_reclaim() caused by allow_direct_reclaim(pgdat) repeatedly returning false. The kernel hangs due to a task stuck in throttle_direct_reclaim(), caused by a node being incorrectly deemed balanced despite pressure in certain zones, such as ZONE_NORMAL. This issue arises from zone_reclaimable_pages ---truncated---

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-835

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 5a1c84b404a7176b8b36e2a0041b6f0adb3151a3 66cd37660ec34ec444fe42f2277330ae4a36bb19 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5a1c84b404a7176b8b36e2a0041b6f0adb3151a3 d675fefbaec3815b3ae0af1bebd97f27df3a05c8 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5a1c84b404a7176b8b36e2a0041b6f0adb3151a3 63eac98d6f0898229f515cb62fe4e4db2430e99c git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5a1c84b404a7176b8b36e2a0041b6f0adb3151a3 bfb701192129803191c9cd6cdd1f82cd07f8de2c git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5a1c84b404a7176b8b36e2a0041b6f0adb3151a3 1ff2302e8aeac7f2eedb551d7a89617283b5c6b2 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5a1c84b404a7176b8b36e2a0041b6f0adb3151a3 58d0d02dbc67438fc80223fdd7bbc49cf0733284 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 5a1c84b404a7176b8b36e2a0041b6f0adb3151a3 6aaced5abd32e2a57cd94fd64f824514d0361da8 git Not specified
CNA Linux Linux affected 4.8 Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 4.8 semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.4.289 5.4.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.10.233 5.10.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 5.15.176 5.15.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.1.124 6.1.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.6.70 6.6.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.12.9 6.12.* semver Not specified
CNA Linux Linux unaffected 6.13 * original_commit_for_fix 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
cert-portal.siemens.com/productcert/html/ssa-398330.html 0b142b55-0307-4c5a-b3c9-f314f3fb7c5e cert-portal.siemens.com
git.kernel.org/stable/c/66cd37660ec34ec444fe42f2277330ae4a36bb19 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00002.html af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 lists.debian.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/d675fefbaec3815b3ae0af1bebd97f27df3a05c8 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/63eac98d6f0898229f515cb62fe4e4db2430e99c 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/bfb701192129803191c9cd6cdd1f82cd07f8de2c 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/1ff2302e8aeac7f2eedb551d7a89617283b5c6b2 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/03/msg00001.html af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108 lists.debian.org
git.kernel.org/stable/c/6aaced5abd32e2a57cd94fd64f824514d0361da8 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
git.kernel.org/stable/c/58d0d02dbc67438fc80223fdd7bbc49cf0733284 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67 git.kernel.org Patch
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