Bug 2217523 (CVE-2023-3640)

Summary: CVE-2023-3640 Kernel: x86/mm: a per-cpu entry area leak was identified through the init_cea_offsets function when prefetchnta and prefetcht2 instructions being used for the per-cpu entry area mapping to the user space
Product: [Other] Security Response Reporter: Alex <allarkin>
Component: vulnerabilityAssignee: Red Hat Product Security <security-response-team>
Status: NEW --- QA Contact:
Severity: medium Docs Contact:
Priority: medium    
Version: unspecifiedCC: acaringi, allarkin, bhu, chwhite, dbohanno, ddepaula, debarbos, dfreiber, dvlasenk, ezulian, hkrzesin, jarod, jburrell, jdenham, jfaracco, jferlan, jforbes, jlelli, joe.lawrence, jshortt, jstancek, jwyatt, kcarcia, kernel-mgr, ldoskova, lgoncalv, lleshchi, lzampier, nmurray, ptalbert, qzhao, rogbas, rrobaina, rvrbovsk, rysulliv, scweaver, swood, tyberry, vkumar, walters, wcosta, williams, wmealing, ycote, ymankad
Target Milestone: ---Keywords: Reopened, Security
Target Release: ---   
Hardware: All   
OS: Linux   
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Doc Text:
A possible unauthorized memory access flaw was found in the Linux kernel's cpu_entry_area mapping of X86 CPU data to memory, where a user may guess the location of exception stacks or other important data. Based on the previous CVE-2023-0597, the 'Randomize per-cpu entry area' feature was implemented in /arch/x86/mm/cpu_entry_area.c, which works through the init_cea_offsets() function when KASLR is enabled. However, despite this feature, there is still a risk of per-cpu entry area leaks. This issue could allow a local user to gain access to some important data with memory in an expected location and potentially escalate their privileges on the system.
 Story Points: ---
Clone Of: Environment:
Last Closed: 2023-06-26 18:04:36 UTC Type: ---
Regression: --- Mount Type: ---
Documentation: --- CRM:
Verified Versions: Category: ---
oVirt Team: --- RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team: --- Target Upstream Version:
Embargoed:
Bug Depends On: 2217524, 2221483, 2221484, 2221485, 2221486    
Bug Blocks: 2217461    

Description Alex 2023-06-26 14:21:15 UTC 
A flaw in the Linux Kernel found. First, based on the previous similar CVE-2023-0597, the 'Randomize per-cpu entry area' feature was implemented in /arch/x86/mm/cpu_entry_area.c, which works through the init_cea_offsets() function when KASLR is enabled.
However, despite this feature, there is still a risk of per-cpu entry area leaks.
In systems with KPTI enabled, only a minimal amount of kernel virtual memory is mapped for users, such as exception/system call entry handlers and any other necessary content for user-to-kernel transitions. However, discovered that the per-cpu entry area was also mapped to user space. As a result, the prefetchnta and prefetcht2 instructions are still effective, allowing us to leak the per-cpu entry area by conducting time-based attacks using prefetch instructions in the address range of 0xfffffe0000000000-0xfffffefffffff000. In fact, due to the insufficiently large address offset range and the step size of 0x3b000, the cpu entry area can be obtained within one or two minutes.

Essentially, this is a CPU-level address leak vulnerability
that affects the vast majority of Intel CPUs (possibly AMD CPUs as well),
due to the inability to resolve the issues introduced by KPTI (Kernel Page
Table Isolation).

Reference:
TODO add link to the patch when becomes available.
Comment 2 Alex 2023-06-26 14:27:44 UTC 
Created kernel tracking bugs for this issue:

Affects: fedora-all [bug 2217524]