A flaw was found in the Linux kernel's futex subsystem. The need_futex_hash_allocate_default() function incorrectly relies on CLONE_THREAD semantics, which can lead to non-concurrency issues when memory allocations (mm->futex_ref pcpu allocations) are shared across CLONE_VM clones, excluding vfork(). This can result in a use-after-free vulnerability in futex_hash_put, a form of memory corruption. Such vulnerabilities can potentially lead to system instability or other security impacts.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
futex: Drop CLONE_THREAD requirement for private default hash alloc
Currently need_futex_hash_allocate_default() depends on strict pthread
semantics, abusing CLONE_THREAD. This breaks the non-concurrency
assumptions when doing the mm->futex_ref pcpu allocations, leading to
bugs[0] when sharing the mm in other ways; ie:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in futex_hash_put
... where the +1 bias can end up on a percpu counter that mm->futex_ref
no longer points at.
Loosen the check to cover any CLONE_VM clone, except vfork(). Excluding
vfork keeps the existing paths untouched (no overhead), and we can't
race in the first place: either the parent is suspended and the child
runs alone, or mm->futex_ref is already allocated from an earlier
CLONE_VM.
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: futex: Drop CLONE_THREAD requirement for private default hash alloc Currently need_futex_hash_allocate_default() depends on strict pthread semantics, abusing CLONE_THREAD. This breaks the non-concurrency assumptions when doing the mm->futex_ref pcpu allocations, leading to bugs[0] when sharing the mm in other ways; ie: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in futex_hash_put ... where the +1 bias can end up on a percpu counter that mm->futex_ref no longer points at. Loosen the check to cover any CLONE_VM clone, except vfork(). Excluding vfork keeps the existing paths untouched (no overhead), and we can't race in the first place: either the parent is suspended and the child runs alone, or mm->futex_ref is already allocated from an earlier CLONE_VM.