Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
riscv: process: Fix kernel gp leakage
childregs represents the registers which are active for the new thread
in user context. For a kernel thread, childregs->gp is never used since
the kernel gp is not touched by switch_to. For a user mode helper, the
gp value can be observed in user space after execve or possibly by other
means.
[From the email thread]
The /* Kernel thread */ comment is somewhat inaccurate in that it is also used
for user_mode_helper threads, which exec a user process, e.g. /sbin/init or
when /proc/sys/kernel/core_pattern is a pipe. Such threads do not have
PF_KTHREAD set and are valid targets for ptrace etc. even before they exec.
childregs is the *user* context during syscall execution and it is observable
from userspace in at least five ways:
1. kernel_execve does not currently clear integer registers, so the starting
register state for PID 1 and other user processes started by the kernel has
sp = user stack, gp = kernel __global_pointer$, all other integer registers
zeroed by the memset in the patch comment.
This is a bug in its own right, but I'm unwilling to bet that it is the only
way to exploit the issue addressed by this patch.
2. ptrace(PTRACE_GETREGSET): you can PTRACE_ATTACH to a user_mode_helper thread
before it execs, but ptrace requires SIGSTOP to be delivered which can only
happen at user/kernel boundaries.
3. /proc/*/task/*/syscall: this is perfectly happy to read pt_regs for
user_mode_helpers before the exec completes, but gp is not one of the
registers it returns.
4. PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_USER: LOCKDOWN_PERF normally prevents access to kernel
addresses via PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_INTR, but due to this bug kernel addresses
are also exposed via PERF_SAMPLE_REGS_USER which is permitted under
LOCKDOWN_PERF. I have not attempted to write exploit code.
5. Much of the tracing infrastructure allows access to user registers. I have
not attempted to determine which forms of tracing allow access to user
registers without already allowing access to kernel registers.
Affected products
| Vendor | Product | Affected | Fixed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linux | Linux | 4.15 | 5.10.216 |
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.
Debian
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian 14 | linux | 6.8.9-1 | — |
| Debian 13 | linux | 6.8.9-1 | — |
| Debian 12 | linux | 6.1.85-1 | — |
| Debian 10 | linux-5.10 | 5.10.216-1~deb10u1 | DLA-3842-1 |
Ubuntu
Security tracker ↗| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu Nvidia-BlueField 22.04 LTS | linux-bluefield | 5.15.0-1047.49 | — |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux | 6.8.0-38.38 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-aws | 6.8.0-1011.12 | USN-6893-3 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-azure | 6.8.0-1010.10 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 6.8.0-1010.11 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-gke | 6.8.0-1006.9 | USN-6893-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-ibm +2 | 6.8.0-1008.8 | USN-6918-1, USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-intel | 6.8.0-1007.14 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-nvidia | 6.8.0-1009.9 | USN-6893-2 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi | 6.8.0-1007.7 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 24.04 LTS | linux-riscv +1 | 6.8.0-38.38.1 | USN-6893-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux +1 | 5.15.0-116.126 | USN-6898-2, USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws | 5.15.0-1065.71 | USN-6898-3 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-6.8 | 6.8.0-1011.12~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure | 5.15.0-1068.77 | USN-6917-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-6.8 | 6.8.0-1010.10~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde | 5.15.0-1068.77.1 | USN-6917-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp | 5.15.0-1064.72 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gke | 5.15.0-1062.68 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-gkeop | 5.15.0-1048.55 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-ibm +1 | 5.15.0-1058.61 | USN-6919-1, USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-intel-iotg | 5.15.0-1060.66 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-kvm | 5.15.0-1062.67 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia | 5.15.0-1060.61 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-6.8 | 6.8.0-1009.9~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra | 5.15.0-1026.26 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-igx | 5.15.0-1015.15 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oracle | 5.15.0-1063.69 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-oracle-6.8 | 6.8.0-1008.8~22.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-riscv +31 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 22.04 LTS | linux-xilinx-zynqmp | 5.15.0-1035.39 | USN-7019-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-aws-5.15 | 5.15.0-1065.71~20.04.1 | USN-6898-4 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-azure-5.15 | 5.15.0-1068.77~20.04.1 | USN-6917-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-azure-fde-5.15 | 5.15.0-1068.77~20.04.1.1 | USN-6917-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gcp-5.15 | 5.15.0-1065.73~20.04.1 | USN-6927-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gke +27 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-gkeop-5.15 | 5.15.0-1048.55~20.04.1 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-hwe-5.15 +1 | 5.15.0-116.126~20.04.1 | USN-6898-3, USN-6898-2 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-ibm-5.15 | 5.15.0-1058.61~20.04.1 | USN-6898-2 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-intel-iotg-5.15 | 5.15.0-1060.66~20.04.1 | USN-6898-1 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-nvidia-tegra-5.15 | 5.15.0-1027.27~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-oracle-5.15 | 5.15.0-1063.69~20.04.1 | USN-6898-2 |
| Ubuntu 20.04 LTS | linux-riscv-5.15 | 5.15.0-1061.65~20.04.1 | — |
| Ubuntu 18.04 LTS | linux-gcp +14 | No fix yet | — |
Show 13 more (older releases, extended support, other products)Fewer releases
| Release | Package | Fixed in | Advisory |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ubuntu 16.04 LTS | linux-hwe-edge | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-raspi-realtime | 6.8.0-2006.6 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 24.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 6.8.1-1004.4 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-intel-iot-realtime | 5.15.0-1058.60 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro Realtime 22.04 LTS | linux-realtime | 5.15.0-1066.74 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-aws-fips | 5.15.0-1065.71+fips1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-azure-fips | 5.15.0-1068.77+fips1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-fips | 5.15.0-115.125+fips1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 22.04 LTS | linux-gcp-fips | 5.15.0-1064.72+fips1 | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 20.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-updates 18.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro FIPS-preview 22.04 LTS | linux-fips +3 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 20.04 LTS | linux +10 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 18.04 LTS | linux +12 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 16.04 LTS | linux-gcp +4 | No fix yet | — |
| Ubuntu Pro 14.04 LTS | linux-azure | No fix yet | — |
Advisories 14
- WID-SEC-2024-1188 Linux Kernel: Mehrere Schwachstellen ermöglichen Denial of Service BSI CERT-Bund (WID) · Nov 9, 2026
- USN-6919-1 linux-raspi vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 27, 2026
- USN-7019-1 linux-xilinx-zynqmp vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 26, 2026
- USN-6917-1 linux-azure, linux-azure-5.15, linux-azure-fde, linux-azure-fde-5.15 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 26, 2026
- USN-6927-1 linux-gcp-5.15 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 26, 2026
- USN-6898-1 linux, linux-gcp, linux-gke, linux-gkeop, linux-gkeop-5.15, linux-ibm, linux-intel-iotg, linux-intel-iotg-5.15, linux-kvm, linux-nvidia, linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6893-1 linux, linux-azure, linux-gcp, linux-ibm, linux-intel, linux-lowlatency, linux-oem-6.8, linux-raspi vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6898-2 linux-ibm-5.15, linux-lowlatency, linux-lowlatency-hwe-5.15, linux-oracle-5.15 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6898-3 linux-aws, linux-hwe-5.15 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6898-4 linux-aws-5.15 vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6893-2 linux-gke, linux-nvidia vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6893-3 linux-aws vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- USN-6918-1 linux-oracle vulnerabilities Ubuntu Security Notices (USN) · Oct 23, 2026
- DLA-3842-1 linux-5.10 - security update Debian Security (DSA / DLA) · Mar 9, 2026
References
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9abc3e6f1116adb7a2d4fbb8ce20c37916976bf5
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/dff6072124f6df77bfd36951fbd88565746980ef
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f6583444d7e78dae750798552b65a2519ff3ca84
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/00effef72c98294edb1efa87ffa0f6cfb61b36a4
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d8dcba0691b8e42bddb61aab201e4d918a08e5d9
- https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/d14fa1fcf69db9d070e75f1c4425211fa619dfc8