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High · 7.8 CVE-2023-53478 EUVD-2025-32761GHSA-q32w-2qjp-8m8q

tracing/synthetic: Fix races on freeing last_cmd

Published Oct 1, 2025 · Updated Aug 5, 2026 · Assigned by Linux

Vendor: Linux Product: Linux Package: linux Package: linux-allwinner-5.19 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-5.19 Package: linux-azure-5.3 Package: linux-azure-5.8 Package: linux-azure-6.11 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-6.11 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-5.19 Package: linux-hwe-5.8 Package: linux-hwe-6.11 Package: linux-hwe-6.2 Package: linux-hwe-6.5 Package: linux-hwe-edge Package: linux-intel Package: linux-intel-5.13 Package: linux-intel-iot-realtime Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.19 Package: linux-lowlatency-hwe-6.11 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-6.11 Package: linux-oem-6.5 Package: linux-oem-6.8 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-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 Package: linux-vmware Platform: Linux Ecosystem: Debian Ecosystem: Ubuntu

Description

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

tracing/synthetic: Fix races on freeing last_cmd

Currently, the "last_cmd" variable can be accessed by multiple processes
asynchronously when multiple users manipulate synthetic_events node
at the same time, it could lead to use-after-free or double-free.

This patch add "lastcmd_mutex" to prevent "last_cmd" from being accessed
asynchronously.

================================================================

It's easy to reproduce in the KASAN environment by running the two
scripts below in different shells.

script 1:
while :
do
echo -n -e '\x88' > /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events
done

script 2:
while :
do
echo -n -e '\xb0' > /sys/kernel/tracing/synthetic_events
done

================================================================
double-free scenario:

process A process B
------------------- ---------------
1.kstrdup last_cmd
2.free last_cmd
3.free last_cmd(double-free)

================================================================
use-after-free scenario:

process A process B
------------------- ---------------
1.kstrdup last_cmd
2.free last_cmd
3.tracing_log_err(use-after-free)

================================================================

Appendix 1. KASAN report double-free:

BUG: KASAN: double-free in kfree+0xdc/0x1d4
Free of addr ***** by task sh/4879
Call trace:
...
kfree+0xdc/0x1d4
create_or_delete_synth_event+0x60/0x1e8
trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8
synth_events_write+0x20/0x30
vfs_write+0x200/0x830
...

Allocated by task 4879:
...
kstrdup+0x5c/0x98
create_or_delete_synth_event+0x6c/0x1e8
trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8
synth_events_write+0x20/0x30
vfs_write+0x200/0x830
...

Freed by task 5464:
...
kfree+0xdc/0x1d4
create_or_delete_synth_event+0x60/0x1e8
trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8
synth_events_write+0x20/0x30
vfs_write+0x200/0x830
...

================================================================
Appendix 2. KASAN report use-after-free:

BUG: KASAN: use-after-free in strlen+0x5c/0x7c
Read of size 1 at addr ***** by task sh/5483
sh: CPU: 7 PID: 5483 Comm: sh
...
__asan_report_load1_noabort+0x34/0x44
strlen+0x5c/0x7c
tracing_log_err+0x60/0x444
create_or_delete_synth_event+0xc4/0x204
trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8
synth_events_write+0x20/0x30
vfs_write+0x200/0x830
...

Allocated by task 5483:
...
kstrdup+0x5c/0x98
create_or_delete_synth_event+0x80/0x204
trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8
synth_events_write+0x20/0x30
vfs_write+0x200/0x830
...

Freed by task 5480:
...
kfree+0xdc/0x1d4
create_or_delete_synth_event+0x74/0x204
trace_parse_run_command+0x2bc/0x4b8
synth_events_write+0x20/0x30
vfs_write+0x200/0x830
...

Affected products

VendorProductAffectedFixed
Linux Linux 5.18 6.1.24

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 6.1.25-1 —
Debian 13 linux 6.1.25-1 —
Debian 12 linux 6.1.25-1 —
ReleasePackageFixed inAdvisory
Ubuntu 24.04 LTS linux-intel +9 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 22.04 LTS linux-riscv +32 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 20.04 LTS linux-gke +28 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 18.04 LTS linux-gcp +14 No fix yet —
Ubuntu 16.04 LTS linux-hwe-edge No fix yet —

Advisories 1

References