Linux Kernel up to 5.12.8 scsi smp_processor_id stack-based overflow

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability marked as critical has been reported in Linux Kernel up to 5.12.8. This impacts the function smp_processor_id of the component scsi. The manipulation leads to stack-based overflow. This vulnerability is traded as CVE-2021-47178. There is no exploit available. It is suggested to upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.12.8. It has been rated as critical. This issue affects the function smp_processor_id of the component scsi. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a stack-based overflow vulnerability. Using CWE to declare the problem leads to CWE-121. A stack-based buffer overflow condition is a condition where the buffer being overwritten is allocated on the stack (i.e., is a local variable or, rarely, a parameter to a function). Impacted is confidentiality, integrity, and availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: scsi: target: core: Avoid smp_processor_id() in preemptible code The BUG message "BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code" was observed for TCMU devices with kernel config DEBUG_PREEMPT. The message was observed when blktests block/005 was run on TCMU devices with fileio backend or user:zbc backend [1]. The commit 1130b499b4a7 ("scsi: target: tcm_loop: Use LIO wq cmd submission helper") triggered the symptom. The commit modified work queue to handle commands and changed 'current->nr_cpu_allowed' at smp_processor_id() call. The message was also observed at system shutdown when TCMU devices were not cleaned up [2]. The function smp_processor_id() was called in SCSI host work queue for abort handling, and triggered the BUG message. This symptom was observed regardless of the commit 1130b499b4a7 ("scsi: target: tcm_loop: Use LIO wq cmd submission helper"). To avoid the preemptible code check at smp_processor_id(), get CPU ID with raw_smp_processor_id() instead. The CPU ID is used for performance improvement then thread move to other CPU will not affect the code. [1] [ 56.468103] run blktests block/005 at 2021-05-12 14:16:38 [ 57.369473] check_preemption_disabled: 85 callbacks suppressed [ 57.369480] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1511 [ 57.369506] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1510 [ 57.369512] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1506 [ 57.369552] caller is __target_init_cmd+0x157/0x170 [target_core_mod] [ 57.369606] CPU: 4 PID: 1506 Comm: fio Not tainted 5.13.0-rc1+ #34 [ 57.369613] Hardware name: System manufacturer System Product Name/PRIME Z270-A, BIOS 1302 03/15/2018 [ 57.369617] Call Trace: [ 57.369621] BUG: using smp_processor_id() in preemptible [00000000] code: fio/1507 [ 57.369628] dump_stack+0x6d/0x89 [ 57.369642] check_preemption_disabled+0xc8/0xd0 [ 57.369628] caller is __target_init_cmd+0x157/0x170 [target_core_mod] [ 57.369655] __target_init_cmd+0x157/0x170 [target_core_mod] [ 57.369695] target_init_cmd+0x76/0x90 [target_core_mod] [ 57.369732] tcm_loop_queuecommand+0x109/0x210 [tcm_loop] [ 57.369744] scsi_queue_rq+0x38e/0xc40 [ 57.369761] __blk_mq_try_issue_directly+0x109/0x1c0 [ 57.369779] blk_mq_try_issue_directly+0x43/0x90 [ 57.369790] blk_mq_submit_bio+0x4e5/0x5d0 [ 57.369812] submit_bio_noacct+0x46e/0x4e0 [ 57.369830] __blkdev_direct_IO_simple+0x1a3/0x2d0 [ 57.369859] ? set_init_blocksize.isra.0+0x60/0x60 [ 57.369880] generic_file_read_iter+0x89/0x160 [ 57.369898] blkdev_read_iter+0x44/0x60 [ 57.369906] new_sync_read+0x102/0x170 [ 57.369929] vfs_read+0xd4/0x160 [ 57.369941] __x64_sys_pread64+0x6e/0xa0 [ 57.369946] ? lockdep_hardirqs_on+0x79/0x100 [ 57.369958] do_syscall_64+0x3a/0x70 [ 57.369965] entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x44/0xae [ 57.369973] RIP: 0033:0x7f7ed4c1399f [ 57.369979] Code: 08 89 3c 24 48 89 4c 24 18 e8 7d f3 ff ff 4c 8b 54 24 18 48 8b 54 24 10 41 89 c0 48 8b 74 24 08 8b 3c 24 b8 11 00 00 00 0f 05 3d 00 f0 ff ff 77 31 44 89 c7 48 89 04 24 e8 cd f3 ff ff 48 8b [ 57.369983] RSP: 002b:00007ffd7918c580 EFLAGS: 00000293 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000011 [ 57.369990] RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00000000015b4540 RCX: 00007f7ed4c1399f [ 57.369993] RDX: 0000000000001000 RSI: 00000000015de000 RDI: 0000000000000009 [ 57.369996] RBP: 00000000015b4540 R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000001 [ 57.369999] R10: 0000000000e5c000 R11: 0000000000000293 R12: 00007f7eb5269a70 [ 57.370002] R13: 0000000000000000 R14: 0000000000001000 R15: 00000000015b4568 [ 57.370031] CPU: 7 PID: 1507 Comm: fio Not tainted 5.13.0-rc1+ #34 [ 57.370036] Hardware name: System manufacturer System Product Name/PRIME Z270-A, BIOS 1302 03/15/2018 [ 57.370039] Call Trace: [ 57.370045] dump_stack+0x6d/0x89 [ 57.370056] ch ---truncated---

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2021-47178. The exploitation is known to be easy. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available. The price for an exploit might be around USD $0-$5k at the moment (estimation calculated on 08/04/2025).

Upgrading to version 5.12.9 or 5.13 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch a20b6eaf4f35/70ca3c57ff91 is able to eliminate this problem. The bugfix is ready for download at git.kernel.org. The best possible mitigation is suggested to be upgrading to the latest version.

The vulnerability is also documented in the vulnerability database at CERT Bund (WID-SEC-2024-0699). Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

Affected

• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• EMC Avamar
• Dell NetWorker
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• IBM Spectrum Protect Plus

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.12.0
• 5.12.1
• 5.12.2
• 5.12.3
• 5.12.4
• 5.12.5
• 5.12.6
• 5.12.7
• 5.12.8

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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Exploitinginfo

Threat Intelligenceinfo

Countermeasuresinfo

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Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

Several companies clearly confirm that VulDB is the primary source for best vulnerability data.

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