A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's `ext4` filesystem. A memory corruption vulnerability, specifically a use-after-free, exists in the `ext4_split_extent_at()` function. This issue arises when an error during file extent creation causes the system to attempt to use memory that has already been released. An attacker with administrative privileges could exploit this to potentially cause a system crash or disclose sensitive information.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
ext4: fix slab-use-after-free in ext4_split_extent_at()
We hit the following use-after-free:
==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ext4_split_extent_at+0xba8/0xcc0
Read of size 2 at addr ffff88810548ed08 by task kworker/u20:0/40
CPU: 0 PID: 40 Comm: kworker/u20:0 Not tainted 6.9.0-dirty #724
Call Trace:
<TASK>
kasan_report+0x93/0xc0
ext4_split_extent_at+0xba8/0xcc0
ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0x18f/0x500
ext4_split_convert_extents+0x275/0x750
ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x73e/0x1580
ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe20/0x2dc0
ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700
ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70
[...]
Allocated by task 40:
__kmalloc_noprof+0x1ac/0x480
ext4_find_extent+0xf3b/0x1e70
ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x188/0x2dc0
ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700
ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70
[...]
Freed by task 40:
kfree+0xf1/0x2b0
ext4_find_extent+0xa71/0x1e70
ext4_ext_insert_extent+0xa22/0x3260
ext4_split_extent_at+0x3ef/0xcc0
ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0x18f/0x500
ext4_split_convert_extents+0x275/0x750
ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x73e/0x1580
ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe20/0x2dc0
ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700
ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70
[...]
==================================================================
The flow of issue triggering is as follows:
ext4_split_extent_at
path = *ppath
ext4_ext_insert_extent(ppath)
ext4_ext_create_new_leaf(ppath)
ext4_find_extent(orig_path)
path = *orig_path
read_extent_tree_block
// return -ENOMEM or -EIO
ext4_free_ext_path(path)
kfree(path)
*orig_path = NULL
a. If err is -ENOMEM:
ext4_ext_dirty(path + path->p_depth)
// path use-after-free !!!
b. If err is -EIO and we have EXT_DEBUG defined:
ext4_ext_show_leaf(path)
eh = path[depth].p_hdr
// path also use-after-free !!!
So when trying to zeroout or fix the extent length, call ext4_find_extent()
to update the path.
In addition we use *ppath directly as an ext4_ext_show_leaf() input to
avoid possible use-after-free when EXT_DEBUG is defined, and to avoid
unnecessary path updates.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ext4: fix slab-use-after-free in ext4_split_extent_at() We hit the following use-after-free: ================================================================== BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in ext4_split_extent_at+0xba8/0xcc0 Read of size 2 at addr ffff88810548ed08 by task kworker/u20:0/40 CPU: 0 PID: 40 Comm: kworker/u20:0 Not tainted 6.9.0-dirty #724 Call Trace: <TASK> kasan_report+0x93/0xc0 ext4_split_extent_at+0xba8/0xcc0 ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0x18f/0x500 ext4_split_convert_extents+0x275/0x750 ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x73e/0x1580 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe20/0x2dc0 ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700 ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70 [...] Allocated by task 40: __kmalloc_noprof+0x1ac/0x480 ext4_find_extent+0xf3b/0x1e70 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0x188/0x2dc0 ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700 ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70 [...] Freed by task 40: kfree+0xf1/0x2b0 ext4_find_extent+0xa71/0x1e70 ext4_ext_insert_extent+0xa22/0x3260 ext4_split_extent_at+0x3ef/0xcc0 ext4_split_extent.isra.0+0x18f/0x500 ext4_split_convert_extents+0x275/0x750 ext4_ext_handle_unwritten_extents+0x73e/0x1580 ext4_ext_map_blocks+0xe20/0x2dc0 ext4_map_blocks+0x724/0x1700 ext4_do_writepages+0x12d6/0x2a70 [...] ================================================================== The flow of issue triggering is as follows: ext4_split_extent_at path = *ppath ext4_ext_insert_extent(ppath) ext4_ext_create_new_leaf(ppath) ext4_find_extent(orig_path) path = *orig_path read_extent_tree_block // return -ENOMEM or -EIO ext4_free_ext_path(path) kfree(path) *orig_path = NULL a. If err is -ENOMEM: ext4_ext_dirty(path + path->p_depth) // path use-after-free !!! b. If err is -EIO and we have EXT_DEBUG defined: ext4_ext_show_leaf(path) eh = path[depth].p_hdr // path also use-after-free !!! So when trying to zeroout or fix the extent length, call ext4_find_extent() to update the path. In addition we use *ppath directly as an ext4_ext_show_leaf() input to avoid possible use-after-free when EXT_DEBUG is defined, and to avoid unnecessary path updates.