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CVE-2025-21693 Detail

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: mm: zswap: properly synchronize freeing resources during CPU hotunplug In zswap_compress() and zswap_decompress(), the per-CPU acomp_ctx of the current CPU at the beginning of the operation is retrieved and used throughout. However, since neither preemption nor migration are disabled, it is possible that the operation continues on a different CPU. If the original CPU is hotunplugged while the acomp_ctx is still in use, we run into a UAF bug as some of the resources attached to the acomp_ctx are freed during hotunplug in zswap_cpu_comp_dead() (i.e. acomp_ctx.buffer, acomp_ctx.req, or acomp_ctx.acomp). The problem was introduced in commit 1ec3b5fe6eec ("mm/zswap: move to use crypto_acomp API for hardware acceleration") when the switch to the crypto_acomp API was made. Prior to that, the per-CPU crypto_comp was retrieved using get_cpu_ptr() which disables preemption and makes sure the CPU cannot go away from under us. Preemption cannot be disabled with the crypto_acomp API as a sleepable context is needed. Use the acomp_ctx.mutex to synchronize CPU hotplug callbacks allocating and freeing resources with compression/decompression paths. Make sure that acomp_ctx.req is NULL when the resources are freed. In the compression/decompression paths, check if acomp_ctx.req is NULL after acquiring the mutex (meaning the CPU was offlined) and retry on the new CPU. The initialization of acomp_ctx.mutex is moved from the CPU hotplug callback to the pool initialization where it belongs (where the mutex is allocated). In addition to adding clarity, this makes sure that CPU hotplug cannot reinitialize a mutex that is already locked by compression/decompression. Previously a fix was attempted by holding cpus_read_lock() [1]. This would have caused a potential deadlock as it is possible for code already holding the lock to fall into reclaim and enter zswap (causing a deadlock). A fix was also attempted using SRCU for synchronization, but Johannes pointed out that synchronize_srcu() cannot be used in CPU hotplug notifiers [2]. Alternative fixes that were considered/attempted and could have worked: - Refcounting the per-CPU acomp_ctx. This involves complexity in handling the race between the refcount dropping to zero in zswap_[de]compress() and the refcount being re-initialized when the CPU is onlined. - Disabling migration before getting the per-CPU acomp_ctx [3], but that's discouraged and is a much bigger hammer than needed, and could result in subtle performance issues. [1]https://lkml.kernel.org/20241219212437.2714151-1-yosryahmed@google.com/ [2]https://lkml.kernel.org/20250107074724.1756696-2-yosryahmed@google.com/ [3]https://lkml.kernel.org/20250107222236.2715883-2-yosryahmed@google.com/ [yosryahmed@google.com: remove comment] Link: https://lkml.kernel.org/r/CAJD7tkaxS1wjn+swugt8QCvQ-rVF5RZnjxwPGX17k8x9zSManA@mail.gmail.com


Metrics

NVD enrichment efforts reference publicly available information to associate vector strings. CVSS information contributed by other sources is also displayed.
CVSS 4.0 Severity and Vector Strings:

NIST CVSS score
NIST: NVD
N/A
NVD assessment not yet provided.

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Hyperlink Resource
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/12dcb0ef540629a281533f9dedc1b6b8e14cfb65 Patch 
https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/8d29ff5d50304daa41dc3cfdda4a9d1e46cf5be1 Patch 

Weakness Enumeration

CWE-ID CWE Name Source
CWE-416 Use After Free CISA-ADP  

Known Affected Software Configurations Switch to CPE 2.2

Configuration 1 ( hide )
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)
From (including)
5.11
Up to (excluding)
6.12.12
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc1:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc2:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc3:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc4:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc5:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc6:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)
 cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:6.13:rc7:*:*:*:*:*:*
   Show Matching CPE(s)

Denotes Vulnerable Software
Are we missing a CPE here? Please let us know.

Change History

3 change records found show changes

Quick Info

CVE Dictionary Entry:
CVE-2025-21693
NVD Published Date:
02/10/2025
NVD Last Modified:
03/24/2025
Source:
kernel.org