Skip to content
OpenAdvisories
High · 7.8 CVE-2022-49236 EUVD-2022-54990GHSA-m3vm-45hm-666q

bpf: Fix UAF due to race between btf_try_get_module and load_module

Published Feb 26, 2025 · Updated May 11, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 Package: linux-aws Package: linux-aws-5.0 Package: linux-aws-5.11 Package: linux-aws-5.13 Package: linux-aws-5.19 Package: linux-aws-5.3 Package: linux-aws-5.8 Package: linux-aws-6.2 Package: linux-aws-6.5 Package: linux-azure Package: linux-azure-5.11 Package: linux-azure-5.13 Package: linux-azure-5.15 Package: linux-azure-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.2 Package: linux-azure-6.5 Package: linux-azure-edge Package: linux-azure-fde Package: linux-azure-fde-5.19 Package: linux-azure-fde-6.2 Package: linux-gcp Package: linux-gcp-5.11 Package: linux-gcp-5.13 Package: linux-gcp-5.19 Package: linux-gcp-5.3 Package: linux-gcp-5.8 Package: linux-gcp-6.2 Package: linux-gcp-6.5 Package: linux-gke Package: linux-gke-4.15 Package: linux-gke-5.15 Package: linux-gke-5.4 Package: linux-gkeop Package: linux-gkeop-5.15 Package: linux-gkeop-5.4 Package: linux-hwe Package: linux-hwe-5.11 Package: linux-hwe-5.13 Package: linux-hwe-5.15 Package: linux-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-ibm Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-intel-iotg Package: linux-intel-iotg-5.15 Package: linux-kvm Package: linux-lowlatency Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-nvidia-6.2 Package: linux-nvidia-6.5 Package: linux-oem Package: linux-oem-5.10 Package: linux-oem-5.13 Package: linux-oem-5.14 Package: linux-oem-5.17 Package: linux-oem-5.6 Package: linux-oem-6.0 Package: linux-oem-6.1 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oracle Package: linux-oracle-5.0 Package: linux-oracle-5.11 Package: linux-oracle-5.13 Package: linux-oracle-5.3 Package: linux-oracle-5.8 Package: linux-oracle-6.5 Package: linux-raspi Package: linux-raspi-realtime Package: linux-raspi2 Package: linux-realtime Package: linux-riscv Package: linux-riscv-5.11 Package: linux-riscv-5.19 Package: linux-riscv-5.8 Package: linux-riscv-6.5 Package: linux-starfive-5.19 Package: linux-starfive-6.2 Package: linux-starfive-6.5 Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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

bpf: Fix UAF due to race between btf_try_get_module and load_module

While working on code to populate kfunc BTF ID sets for module BTF from
its initcall, I noticed that by the time the initcall is invoked, the
module BTF can already be seen by userspace (and the BPF verifier). The
existing btf_try_get_module calls try_module_get which only fails if
mod->state == MODULE_STATE_GOING, i.e. it can increment module reference
when module initcall is happening in parallel.

Currently, BTF parsing happens from MODULE_STATE_COMING notifier
callback. At this point, the module initcalls have not been invoked.
The notifier callback parses and prepares the module BTF, allocates an
ID, which publishes it to userspace, and then adds it to the btf_modules
list allowing the kernel to invoke btf_try_get_module for the BTF.

However, at this point, the module has not been fully initialized (i.e.
its initcalls have not finished). The code in module.c can still fail
and free the module, without caring for other users. However, nothing
stops btf_try_get_module from succeeding between the state transition
from MODULE_STATE_COMING to MODULE_STATE_LIVE.

This leads to a use-after-free issue when BPF program loads
successfully in the state transition, load_module's do_init_module call
fails and frees the module, and BPF program fd on close calls module_put
for the freed module. Future patch has test case to verify we don't
regress in this area in future.

There are multiple points after prepare_coming_module (in load_module)
where failure can occur and module loading can return error. We
illustrate and test for the race using the last point where it can
practically occur (in module __init function).

An illustration of the race:

CPU 0 CPU 1
load_module
notifier_call(MODULE_STATE_COMING)
btf_parse_module
btf_alloc_id // Published to userspace
list_add(&btf_mod->list, btf_modules)
mod->init(...)
... ^
bpf_check |
check_pseudo_btf_id |
btf_try_get_module |
returns true | ...
... | module __init in progress
return prog_fd | ...
... V
if (ret < 0)
free_module(mod)
...
close(prog_fd)
...
bpf_prog_free_deferred
module_put(used_btf.mod) // use-after-free

We fix this issue by setting a flag BTF_MODULE_F_LIVE, from the notifier
callback when MODULE_STATE_LIVE state is reached for the module, so that
we return NULL from btf_try_get_module for modules that are not fully
formed. Since try_module_get already checks that module is not in
MODULE_STATE_GOING state, and that is the only transition a live module
can make before being removed from btf_modules list, this is enough to
close the race and prevent the bug.

A later selftest patch crafts the race condition artifically to verify
that it has been fixed, and that verifier fails to load program (with
ENXIO).

Lastly, a couple of comments:

1. Even if this race didn't exist, it seems more appropriate to only
access resources (ksyms and kfuncs) of a fully formed module which
has been initialized completely.

2. This patch was born out of need for synchronization against module
initcall for the next patch, so it is needed for correctness even
without the aforementioned race condition. The BTF resources
initialized by module initcall are set up once and then only looked
up, so just waiting until the initcall has finished ensures correct
behavior.

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 5.12 5.15.33

Fixed in Linux distributions

Distributions backport fixes, so the version that fixes this vulnerability differs per release — upgrade to at least the version shown. From the distributions' security trackers and advisories.

ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Debian 14 linux 5.17.3-1 —
Debian 13 linux 5.17.3-1 —
Debian 12 linux 5.17.3-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-raspi-realtime No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux +1 5.15.0-37.39 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-aws 5.15.0-1011.14 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-azure 5.15.0-1010.12 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gcp 5.15.0-1008.12 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-gke 5.15.0-1008.10 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-ibm 5.15.0-1007.8 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-intel-iotg 5.15.0-1008.11 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-kvm 5.15.0-1010.11 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-oracle 5.15.0-1009.12 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-raspi 5.15.0-1011.13 —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-azure-5.15 5.15.0-1008.9~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +28 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-hwe-5.15 5.15.0-41.44~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-intel-iotg-5.15 5.15.0-1008.11~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15 5.15.0-42.45~20.04.1 —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp +14 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS linux-hwe-edge No fix yet —
Show 1 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS linux-realtime 5.15.0-1014.14 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
RHEL 9 bpftool 7.0.0-284.11.1.el9_2 RHSA-2023:2458
RHEL 9 perf +48 5.14.0-284.11.1.el9_2 RHSA-2023:2458
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES 15 SP5 kernel-64kb +6 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLES 15 SP5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1.150500.6.47.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLES 15 SP4 kernel-64kb +6 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLES 15 SP4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1.150400.24.78.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
Show 11 more (older releases, extended support, other products)
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
SLES for SAP 15 SP5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1.150500.6.47.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLES for SAP 15 SP5 kernel-docs +4 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLES for SAP 15 SP4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1.150400.24.78.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLES for SAP 15 SP4 kernel-docs +4 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE Micro 5.5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1.150500.6.47.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLE Micro 5.5 kernel-rt +1 5.14.21-150500.13.91.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1176-1
SLE Micro 5.5 kernel-source +1 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLE Micro 5.4 kernel-default 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE Micro 5.4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1.150400.24.78.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE Micro 5.4 kernel-rt +1 5.14.21-150400.15.115.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1183-1
SLE Micro 5.3 kernel-default 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE Micro 5.3 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1.150400.24.78.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE Micro 5.3 kernel-rt +1 5.14.21-150400.15.115.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1183-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-default 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP5 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP5_Update_25 1-150500.11.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-default 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE Live Patching 15 SP4 kernel-livepatch-SLE15-SP4_Update_38 1-150400.9.3.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE HPC 15 SP5 kernel-64kb +5 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLE HPC 15 SP5 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150500.55.100.1.150500.6.47.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1241-1
SLE HPC 15 SP4 kernel-64kb +5 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SLE HPC 15 SP4 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1.150400.24.78.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SUSE Manager Server 4.3 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1.150400.24.78.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SUSE Manager Server 4.3 kernel-syms +3 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 kernel-default-base 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1.150400.24.78.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1
SUSE Manager Proxy 4.3 kernel-syms +2 5.14.21-150400.24.158.1 SUSE-SU-2025:1027-1

Advisories 5

References