CVE-2024-38613
MediumIn 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).
CVSS 3.1 score
4.7
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
Weakness type
CWE-362CVE-2024-38613 is a Race Condition vulnerability
What is Race Condition?
The product contains a code sequence that can run concurrently with other code, creating unexpected states. Learn more on MITRE CWE
References
The following references provide additional information about CVE-2024-38613 including vendor advisories, patch commits, exploit details, and third-party analysis. Links are sourced from the NIST NVD database.
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0d9ae1253535f6e85a016e09c25ecbe6f7f59ef0
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/2a8d1d95302c7d52c6ac8fa5cb4a6948ae0d3a14
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PatchKernel patch commithttps://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4eeffecc8e3cce25bb559502c2fd94a948bcde82
Frequently asked questions
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What is CVE-2024-38613?
CVE-2024-38613 is a Medium severity Linux kernel vulnerability with a CVSS score of 4.7 out of 10 , classified as a Race Condition flaw (CWE-362) . CVE-2024-38613 has not been confirmed as actively exploited and is not listed in the CISA KEV catalog.
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What is the CVSS score for CVE-2024-38613?
CVE-2024-38613 has a CVSS score of 4.7 out of 10, rated Medium severity (CVSS 3.1). The vector string is
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H. -
Is there a patch available for CVE-2024-38613?
No patch is currently available for CVE-2024-38613. Monitor the NIST NVD and your Linux distribution's security advisories for updates.
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Is CVE-2024-38613 actively exploited?
No — CVE-2024-38613 has not been confirmed as actively exploited. It is not listed in the CISA Known Exploited Vulnerabilities (KEV) catalog.
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What is Race Condition (CWE-362)?
The product contains a code sequence that can run concurrently with other code, creating unexpected states. View CWE-362 on MITRE CWE →