In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

x86/bhi: Avoid warning in #DB handler due to BHI mitigation

When BHI mitigation is enabled, if SYSENTER is invoked with the TF flag set
then entry_SYSENTER_compat() uses CLEAR_BRANCH_HISTORY and calls the
clear_bhb_loop() before the TF flag is cleared. This causes the #DB handler
(exc_debug_kernel()) to issue a warning because single-step is used outside the
entry_SYSENTER_compat() function.

To address this issue, entry_SYSENTER_compat() should use CLEAR_BRANCH_HISTORY
after making sure the TF flag is cleared.

The problem can be reproduced with the following sequence:

  $ cat sysenter_step.c
  int main()
  { asm("pushf; pop %ax; bts $8,%ax; push %ax; popf; sysenter"); }

  $ gcc -o sysenter_step sysenter_step.c

  $ ./sysenter_step
  Segmentation fault (core dumped)

The program is expected to crash, and the #DB handler will issue a warning.

Kernel log:

  WARNING: CPU: 27 PID: 7000 at arch/x86/kernel/traps.c:1009 exc_debug_kernel+0xd2/0x160
  ...
  RIP: 0010:exc_debug_kernel+0xd2/0x160
  ...
  Call Trace:
  <#DB>
   ? show_regs+0x68/0x80
   ? __warn+0x8c/0x140
   ? exc_debug_kernel+0xd2/0x160
   ? report_bug+0x175/0x1a0
   ? handle_bug+0x44/0x90
   ? exc_invalid_op+0x1c/0x70
   ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1f/0x30
   ? exc_debug_kernel+0xd2/0x160
   exc_debug+0x43/0x50
   asm_exc_debug+0x1e/0x40
  RIP: 0010:clear_bhb_loop+0x0/0xb0
  ...
  </#DB>
  <TASK>
   ? entry_SYSENTER_compat_after_hwframe+0x6e/0x8d
  </TASK>

  [ bp: Massage commit message. ]

kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/08518d48e5b744620524f0acd7c26c19bda7f513 [No types assigned]

kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/a765679defe1dc1b8fa01928a6ad6361e72a1364 [No types assigned]

kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ac8b270b61d48fcc61f052097777e3b5e11591e0 [No types assigned]

kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dae3543db8f0cf8ac1a198c3bb4b6e3c24d576cf [No types assigned]

kernel.org https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/db56615e96c439e13783d7715330e824b4fd4b84 [No types assigned]