CVE-2024-26718: linux kernel Memory Corruption — Fix

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm-crypt, dm-verity: disable tasklets Tasklets have an inherent problem with memory corruption. The function tasklet_action_common calls tasklet_trylock, then it calls the tasklet callback and then it calls tasklet_unlock. If the tasklet callback frees the structure that contains the tasklet or if it calls some code that may free it, tasklet_unlock will write into free memory. The commits 8e14f610159d and d9a02e016aaf try to fix it for dm-crypt, but it is not a sufficient fix and the data corruption can still happen [1]. There is no fix for dm-verity and dm-verity will write into free memory with every tasklet-processed bio. There will be atomic workqueues implemented in the kernel 6.9 [2]. They will have better interface and they will not suffer from the memory corruption problem. But we need something that stops the memory corruption now and that can be backported to the stable kernels. So, I'm proposing this commit that disables tasklets in both dm-crypt and dm-verity. This commit doesn't remove the tasklet support, because the tasklet code will be reused when atomic workqueues will be implemented. [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email protected]/T/ [2] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/[email protected]/

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CVSS v3.1 Score

5.5

MEDIUM

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

Weakness Type (CWE)

CWE-787 Out-of-bounds Write

Affected Products

Vendor	Product	Versions
linux	linux_kernel	5.9 — 6.1.79
linux	linux_kernel	6.2 — 6.6.18
linux	linux_kernel	6.7 — 6.7.6
linux	linux_kernel	All
linux	linux_kernel	All

References

Advisories & Patches

Frequently Asked Questions

What is CVE-2024-26718? +

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: dm-crypt, dm-verity: disable tasklets Tasklets have an inherent problem with memory corruption. The function tasklet_action_common calls tasklet_trylock, then it calls the tasklet callback and then it calls tasklet_unlock. If the tasklet callback frees the structure that contains the tasklet or if it calls some code that may free it, tasklet_unlock will write into free memory. The commits 8e14f610159d and d9a02e016aaf try to fix it for dm-crypt, but it is not a sufficient fix and the data corruption can still happen [1]. There is no fix for dm-verity and dm-verity will write into free memory with every tasklet-processed bio. There will be atomic workqueues implemented in the kernel 6.9 [2]. They will have better interface and they will not suffer from the memory corruption problem. But we need something that stops the memory corruption now and that can be backported to the stable kernels. So, I'm proposing this commit that disables tasklets in both dm-crypt and dm-verity. This commit doesn't remove the tasklet support, because the tasklet code will be reused when atomic workqueues will be implemented. [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email protected]/T/ [2] https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/[email protected]/ It has a CVSS v3.1 base score of 5.5 (MEDIUM).

How severe is CVE-2024-26718? +

CVE-2024-26718 has a CVSS v3.1 score of 5.5 out of 10, rated MEDIUM. This is a medium-severity vulnerability that should be remediated as part of regular maintenance.

What products are affected by CVE-2024-26718? +

CVE-2024-26718 affects products from linux, specifically: linux_kernel. Check the affected products table above for specific version ranges.

How do I check if I'm vulnerable to CVE-2024-26718? +

You can use Secably's free Website Scanner to check your website for known vulnerabilities. For infrastructure scanning, use the Port Scanner to identify exposed services that may be affected. Check the vendor advisories linked above for specific patch and version information.

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