linux/kernel
Thomas Gleixner 920f893f73 posix-cpu-timers: Prevent UAF caused by non-leader exec() race
Wongi and Jungwoo decoded and reported a non-leader exec() related race
which can result in an UAF:

 sys_timer_delete()			exec()
   posix_cpu_timer_del()
   // Observes old leader
   p = pid_task(pid, pid_type);		de_thread()
   					  switch_leader();
					  release_task(old_leader)
					    __exit_signal(old_leader)
					      sighand = lock(old_leader, sighand);
					      posix_cpu_timers*_exit();
   sighand = lock_task_sighand(p)	      unhash_task(old_leader);
     sh = lock(p, sighand)	    	      old_leader->sighand = NULL;
					      unlock(sighand);
     (p->sighand == NULL)
	unlock(sh)
	return NULL;

   // Returns without action
   if(!sighand)
      return 0;
   free_posix_timer();

This is "harmless" unless the deleted timer was armed and enqueued in
p->signal because on exec() a TGID targeted timer is inherited.

As sys_timer_delete() freed the underlying posix timer object
run_posix_cpu_timers() or any timerqueue related add/delete operations on
other timers will access the freed object's timerqueue node, which results
in an UAF.

There is a similar problem vs. posix_cpu_timer_set(). For regular posix
timers it just transiently returns -ESRCH to user space, but for the use
case in do_cpu_nanosleep() it's the same UAF just that the k_itimer is
allocated on the stack.

Also posix_cpu_timer_rearm() fails to rearm the timer, which means it stops
to expire.

While debating solutions Frederic pointed out another problem:

   posix_cpu_timer_del(tmr)
					__exit_signal(p)
					  posix_cpu_timers*_exit(p);
					  unhash_task(p);
					  p->sighand = NULL;
     sh = lock_task_sighand(p)
        sighand = p->sighand;
	if (!sighand)
	    return NULL;
	lock(sighand);

     if (!sh)
	WARN_ON_ONCE(timer_queued(tmr));

On weakly ordered architectures it is not guaranteed that
posix_cpu_timer_del() will observe the stores in posix_cpu_timers*_exit()
when p->sighand is observed as NULL, which means the WARN() can be a false
positive.

Solve these issues by:

  1) Changing the store in __exit_signal() to smp_store_release().

  2) Adding a smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep() into the !sighand path
     of lock_task_sighand().

  3) Creating a helper function for looking up the task and locking sighand
     which does not return when sighand == NULL. Instead it retries the
     task lookup and only if that fails it gives up.

  4) Using that helper in the three affected functions.

#1/#2 ensures that the reader side which observes sighand == NULL also
observes all preceeding stores, i.e. the stores in posix_cpu_timers*_exit()
and the ones in unhash_task().

#3 ensures that the above described non-leader exec() situation is handled
gracefully. When the task lookup returns the old leader, but sighand ==
NULL then it retries. In the non-leader exec() case the subsequent task
lookup will observe the new leader due to #1/#2. In normal exit() scenarios
the subsequent lookup fails.

When the task lookup fails, the function also checks whether the timer is
still enqueued and issues a warning if that's the case. Unfortunately there
is nothing which can be done about it, but as the task is already not
longer visible the timer should not be accessed anymore. This check also
requires memory ordering, which is not provided when the first lookup
fails. To achieve that the check is preceeded by a smp_rmb() which pairs
with the smp_wmb() in write_seqlock() in __exit_signal(). That ensures that
the stores in posix_cpu_timers*_exit() are visible.

The history of the non-leader exec() issue goes back to the early days of
posix CPU timers, which stored a pointer to the group leader task in the
timer. That obviously fails when a non-leader exec() switches the leader.
commit e0a7021710 ("posix-cpu-timers: workaround to suppress the problems
with mt exec") added a temporary workaround for that in 2010 which survived
about 10 years. The fix for the workaround changed the task pointer to a
pid pointer, but failed to see the subtle race described above. So the
Fixes tag picks that commit, which seems to be halfways accurate.

Thanks to Frederic Weissbecker, Oleg Nesterov and Peter Zijlstra for
review, feedback and suggestions and to Wongi and Jungwoo for the excellent
bug report and analysis!

Fixes: 55e8c8eb2c ("posix-cpu-timers: Store a reference to a pid not a task")
Reported-by: Wongi Lee <qw3rtyp0@gmail.com>
Reported-by: Jungwoo Lee <jwlee2217@gmail.com>
Signed-off-by: Thomas Gleixner <tglx@kernel.org>
Reviewed-by: Oleg Nesterov <oleg@redhat.com>
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
2026-07-05 11:44:06 +02:00
..
bpf bpf: Prefer dirty packs for eBPF allocations 2026-07-01 10:34:41 +02:00
cgroup cgroup: Changes for v7.2 2026-06-17 12:03:56 +01:00
configs slab: support for compiler-assisted type-based slab cache partitioning 2026-05-14 10:44:09 +02:00
debug kgdb: update outdated references to kgdb_wait() 2026-04-21 16:41:54 +01:00
dma dma-mapping updates for Linux 7.2: 2026-06-17 12:20:21 -07:00
entry futex: Provide infrastructure to plug the non contended robust futex unlock race 2026-06-03 11:38:52 +02:00
events - Fix event::addr_filter_ranges lifetime bug (Peter Zijlstra) 2026-06-23 16:25:23 -07:00
futex Locking updates for v7.2: 2026-06-15 14:21:14 +05:30
gcov Convert more 'alloc_obj' cases to default GFP_KERNEL arguments 2026-02-21 20:03:00 -08:00
irq genirq/msi: Correct CONFIG_PCI_MSI_ARCH_FALLBACKS macro name in comment 2026-06-22 22:32:01 +02:00
kcsan kcsan: test: Adjust "expect" allocation type for kmalloc_obj 2026-02-26 09:54:08 -08:00
livepatch Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
liveupdate liveupdate: Remove limit on the number of files per session 2026-06-03 21:15:46 +03:00
locking locking/rt: Fix the incorrect RCU protection in rt_spin_unlock() 2026-06-21 11:51:13 +02:00
module module: decompress: check return value of module_extend_max_pages() 2026-06-04 16:37:32 +00:00
power mm.git review status for mm-hotfixes-stable..mm-stable 2026-06-19 10:14:34 -07:00
printk printk: fix typos in comments 2026-06-02 15:36:06 +02:00
rcu Updates for the NOHZ subsystem: 2026-06-15 13:48:52 +05:30
sched Power management fixes for 7.2-rc1 2026-06-26 13:14:18 -07:00
time posix-cpu-timers: Prevent UAF caused by non-leader exec() race 2026-07-05 11:44:06 +02:00
trace Probes fixes for v7.2-rc1: 2026-06-30 17:50:44 -10:00
unwind Convert more 'alloc_obj' cases to default GFP_KERNEL arguments 2026-02-21 20:03:00 -08:00
.gitignore kheaders: rebuild kheaders_data.tar.xz when a file is modified within a minute 2025-06-24 20:30:37 +09:00
acct.c fs: move SB_I_USERNS_VISIBLE to FS_USERNS_MOUNT_RESTRICTED 2026-05-11 23:13:01 +02:00
async.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
audit_fsnotify.c audit: fix recursive locking deadlock in audit_dupe_exe() 2026-05-27 19:15:34 -04:00
audit_tree.c audit: use 'unsigned int' instead of 'unsigned' 2026-05-26 17:15:30 -04:00
audit_watch.c audit: fix recursive locking deadlock in audit_dupe_exe() 2026-05-27 19:15:34 -04:00
audit.c audit/stable-7.2 PR 20260615 2026-06-17 12:55:09 +01:00
audit.h audit: fix recursive locking deadlock in audit_dupe_exe() 2026-05-27 19:15:34 -04:00
auditfilter.c audit: fix recursive locking deadlock in audit_dupe_exe() 2026-05-27 19:15:34 -04:00
auditsc.c audit/stable-7.2 PR 20260615 2026-06-17 12:55:09 +01:00
backtracetest.c
bounds.c x86/asm: Remove ANNOTATE_DATA_SPECIAL usage 2025-12-03 16:53:19 +01:00
capability.c
cfi.c cfi: Move BPF CFI types and helpers to generic code 2025-07-31 18:23:53 -07:00
compat.c
configs.c
context_tracking.c context_tracking: Remove rcu_task_trace_heavyweight_{enter,exit}() 2026-01-01 16:39:46 +08:00
cpu_pm.c syscore: Pass context data to callbacks 2025-11-14 10:01:52 +01:00
cpu.c Misc CPU hotplug fixes: 2026-06-23 16:43:24 -07:00
crash_core_test.c crash: add KUnit tests for crash_exclude_mem_range 2025-09-13 17:32:55 -07:00
crash_core.c kernel/crash: remove inclusion of crypto/sha1.h 2026-03-27 21:19:46 -07:00
crash_dump_dm_crypt.c crash_dump/dm-crypt: don't print in arch-specific code 2026-04-02 23:36:24 -07:00
crash_reserve.c kernel/crash: remove inclusion of crypto/sha1.h 2026-03-27 21:19:46 -07:00
cred.c exec_state: relocate dumpable information 2026-05-26 11:02:01 +02:00
delayacct.c delayacct: fix uapi timespec64 definition 2026-02-08 00:13:32 -08:00
dma.c
elfcorehdr.c
exec_domain.c
exec_state.c exec_state: relocate dumpable information 2026-05-26 11:02:01 +02:00
exit.c posix-cpu-timers: Prevent UAF caused by non-leader exec() race 2026-07-05 11:44:06 +02:00
exit.h
extable.c
fail_function.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
fork.c bpf,fork: wipe ->bpf_storage before bailouts that access it 2026-06-29 15:08:23 -07:00
freezer.c freezer: Clarify that only cgroup1 freezer uses PM freezer 2025-10-30 20:10:27 +01:00
gen_kheaders.sh kheaders: make it possible to override TAR 2025-08-06 10:23:36 +09:00
groups.c treewide: Replace kmalloc with kmalloc_obj for non-scalar types 2026-02-21 01:02:28 -08:00
hung_task.c hung_task: explicitly report I/O wait state in log output 2026-03-27 21:19:40 -07:00
iomem.c
irq_work.c irq_work: Fix use-after-free in irq_work_single() on PREEMPT_RT 2026-05-11 16:28:04 +02:00
jump_label.c jump_label: use ATOMIC_INIT() for initialization of .enabled 2026-03-16 13:16:48 +01:00
kallsyms_internal.h kallsyms: Get rid of kallsyms relative base 2026-01-22 15:58:22 -07:00
kallsyms_selftest.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
kallsyms_selftest.h
kallsyms.c mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-02-12 12:13:01 -08:00
kcmp.c
Kconfig.freezer
Kconfig.hz
Kconfig.kexec liveupdate: kho: move to kernel/liveupdate 2025-11-27 14:24:33 -08:00
Kconfig.locks
Kconfig.preempt sched: Further restrict the preemption modes 2026-01-08 12:43:57 +01:00
kcov.c kcov: use WRITE_ONCE() for selftest mode stores 2026-06-04 14:49:26 -07:00
kexec_core.c liveupdate: skip serialization for context-preserving kexec 2026-06-01 09:19:38 +03:00
kexec_elf.c
kexec_file.c kexec: derive purgatory entry from symbol 2026-01-31 16:16:07 -08:00
kexec_internal.h kexec: enable CMA based contiguous allocation 2025-08-02 12:01:38 -07:00
kexec.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
kheaders.c
kprobes.c kprobes: Remove unneeded warnings from __arm_kprobe_ftrace() 2026-03-13 23:15:26 +09:00
kstack_erase.c sysctl: remove __user qualifier from stack_erasing_sysctl buffer argument 2025-11-27 15:44:53 +01:00
ksyms_common.c
ksysfs.c kernel: ksysfs: initialize kernel_kobj earlier 2026-04-03 19:39:52 +02:00
kthread.c exec_state: relocate dumpable information 2026-05-26 11:02:01 +02:00
latencytop.c
Makefile exec: introduce struct task_exec_state 2026-05-26 11:02:01 +02:00
module_signature.c module: Give 'enum pkey_id_type' a more specific name 2026-03-24 21:42:37 +00:00
notifier.c
nscommon.c nsfs: tighten permission checks for ns iteration ioctls 2026-02-27 22:00:08 +01:00
nsproxy.c vfs-7.1-rc1.mount.v2 2026-04-14 19:59:25 -07:00
nstree.c nstree: tighten permission checks for listing 2026-02-27 22:00:11 +01:00
padata.c padata: Put CPU offline callback in ONLINE section to allow failure 2026-03-22 11:17:59 +09:00
panic.c bug/kunit: Core support for suppressing warning backtraces 2026-05-14 10:50:00 -06:00
params.c kernel: param: initialize module_kset in a pure_initcall 2026-06-08 23:27:56 +02:00
pid_namespace.c pid_namespace: allow opening pid_for_children before init was created 2026-03-20 14:44:26 +01:00
pid_sysctl.h
pid.c pidfd: refuse access to tasks that have started exiting harder 2026-05-19 08:57:47 +02:00
profile.c
ptrace.c exec_state: relocate dumpable information 2026-05-26 11:02:01 +02:00
range.c
reboot.c treewide: Replace kmalloc with kmalloc_obj for non-scalar types 2026-02-21 01:02:28 -08:00
regset.c
relay.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
resource_kunit.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
resource.c resource: Make resource_alignment() input const resource 2026-06-23 12:08:51 -05:00
rseq.c rseq: Reenable performance optimizations conditionally 2026-05-06 17:40:27 +02:00
scftorture.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
scs.c scs: fix a wrong parameter in __scs_magic 2025-11-12 10:00:13 -08:00
seccomp.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
signal.c posix-cpu-timers: Prevent UAF caused by non-leader exec() race 2026-07-05 11:44:06 +02:00
smp.c tracing updates for v7.1: 2026-04-17 09:43:12 -07:00
smpboot.c sched/smp: Use the SMP version of idle_thread_set_boot_cpu() 2025-06-13 08:47:20 +02:00
smpboot.h
softirq.c softirq: Prepare for deferred hrtimer rearming 2026-02-27 16:40:13 +01:00
stacktrace.c
static_call_inline.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
static_call.c
stop_machine.c sched: Simplify ifdeffery around cpu_smt_mask 2026-05-19 12:17:37 +02:00
sys_ni.c rseq: Implement sys_rseq_slice_yield() 2026-01-22 11:11:17 +01:00
sys.c exec_state: relocate dumpable information 2026-05-26 11:02:01 +02:00
sysctl-test.c sysctl: move u8 register test to lib/test_sysctl.c 2025-04-14 14:13:41 +02:00
sysctl.c sysctl: fix uninitialized variable in proc_do_large_bitmap 2026-03-26 09:32:19 +01:00
task_work.c task_work: Fix NMI race condition 2025-10-29 10:29:54 +01:00
taskstats.c taskstats: retain dead thread stats in TGID queries 2026-05-28 21:24:41 -07:00
torture.c torture: Add torture_sched_set_normal() for user-specified nice values 2026-05-24 09:38:47 +02:00
tracepoint.c tracepoint: balance regfunc() on func_add() failure in tracepoint_add_func() 2026-04-14 05:17:02 -04:00
tsacct.c tsacct: skip all kernel threads 2026-01-26 19:07:13 -08:00
ucount.c Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
uid16.c
uid16.h
umh.c umh: replace use of system_unbound_wq with system_dfl_wq 2026-05-07 11:30:08 -10:00
up.c
user_namespace.c Convert remaining multi-line kmalloc_obj/flex GFP_KERNEL uses 2026-02-22 08:26:33 -08:00
user-return-notifier.c
user.c ns: drop custom reference count initialization for initial namespaces 2025-11-11 10:01:32 +01:00
utsname_sysctl.c
utsname.c namespace-6.18-rc1 2025-09-29 11:20:29 -07:00
vhost_task.c vhost_task_create: kill unnecessary .exit_signal initialization 2026-06-10 02:17:00 -04:00
vmcore_info.c mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-04-16 20:11:56 -07:00
watch_queue.c Convert 'alloc_flex' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
watchdog_buddy.c watchdog/hardlockup: improve buddy system detection timeliness 2026-03-27 21:19:47 -07:00
watchdog_perf.c watchdog/hardlockup: simplify perf event probe and remove per-cpu dependency 2026-02-08 00:13:35 -08:00
watchdog.c watchdog/hardlockup: improve buddy system detection timeliness 2026-03-27 21:19:47 -07:00
workqueue_internal.h workqueue: Show in-flight work item duration in stall diagnostics 2026-03-05 07:27:48 -10:00
workqueue.c workqueue: Changes for v7.2 2026-06-17 11:57:44 +01:00