Linux Kernel up to 6.1.7 vmci_guest.c vmci_dispatch_dgs deadlock

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability has been found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.7 and classified as critical. This impacts the function vmci_dispatch_dgs of the file drivers/misc/vmw_vmci/vmci_guest.c. This manipulation causes deadlock. This vulnerability is tracked as CVE-2022-49759. No exploit exists. The affected component should be upgraded.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as critical was found in Linux Kernel up to 6.1.7. Affected by this vulnerability is the function vmci_dispatch_dgs of the file drivers/misc/vmw_vmci/vmci_guest.c. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a deadlock vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-833. The product contains multiple threads or executable segments that are waiting for each other to release a necessary lock, resulting in deadlock. As an impact it is known to affect availability. The summary by CVE is:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: VMCI: Use threaded irqs instead of tasklets The vmci_dispatch_dgs() tasklet function calls vmci_read_data() which uses wait_event() resulting in invalid sleep in an atomic context (and therefore potentially in a deadlock). Use threaded irqs to fix this issue and completely remove usage of tasklets. [ 20.264639] BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at drivers/misc/vmw_vmci/vmci_guest.c:145 [ 20.264643] in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 762, name: vmtoolsd [ 20.264645] preempt_count: 101, expected: 0 [ 20.264646] RCU nest depth: 0, expected: 0 [ 20.264647] 1 lock held by vmtoolsd/762: [ 20.264648] #0: ffff0000874ae440 (sk_lock-AF_VSOCK){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: vsock_connect+0x60/0x330 [vsock] [ 20.264658] Preemption disabled at: [ 20.264659] [] vmci_send_datagram+0x44/0xa0 [vmw_vmci] [ 20.264665] CPU: 0 PID: 762 Comm: vmtoolsd Not tainted 5.19.0-0.rc8.20220727git39c3c396f813.60.fc37.aarch64 #1 [ 20.264667] Hardware name: VMware, Inc. VBSA/VBSA, BIOS VEFI 12/31/2020 [ 20.264668] Call trace: [ 20.264669] dump_backtrace+0xc4/0x130 [ 20.264672] show_stack+0x24/0x80 [ 20.264673] dump_stack_lvl+0x88/0xb4 [ 20.264676] dump_stack+0x18/0x34 [ 20.264677] __might_resched+0x1a0/0x280 [ 20.264679] __might_sleep+0x58/0x90 [ 20.264681] vmci_read_data+0x74/0x120 [vmw_vmci] [ 20.264683] vmci_dispatch_dgs+0x64/0x204 [vmw_vmci] [ 20.264686] tasklet_action_common.constprop.0+0x13c/0x150 [ 20.264688] tasklet_action+0x40/0x50 [ 20.264689] __do_softirq+0x23c/0x6b4 [ 20.264690] __irq_exit_rcu+0x104/0x214 [ 20.264691] irq_exit_rcu+0x1c/0x50 [ 20.264693] el1_interrupt+0x38/0x6c [ 20.264695] el1h_64_irq_handler+0x18/0x24 [ 20.264696] el1h_64_irq+0x68/0x6c [ 20.264697] preempt_count_sub+0xa4/0xe0 [ 20.264698] _raw_spin_unlock_irqrestore+0x64/0xb0 [ 20.264701] vmci_send_datagram+0x7c/0xa0 [vmw_vmci] [ 20.264703] vmci_datagram_dispatch+0x84/0x100 [vmw_vmci] [ 20.264706] vmci_datagram_send+0x2c/0x40 [vmw_vmci] [ 20.264709] vmci_transport_send_control_pkt+0xb8/0x120 [vmw_vsock_vmci_transport] [ 20.264711] vmci_transport_connect+0x40/0x7c [vmw_vsock_vmci_transport] [ 20.264713] vsock_connect+0x278/0x330 [vsock] [ 20.264715] __sys_connect_file+0x8c/0xc0 [ 20.264718] __sys_connect+0x84/0xb4 [ 20.264720] __arm64_sys_connect+0x2c/0x3c [ 20.264721] invoke_syscall+0x78/0x100 [ 20.264723] el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0x68/0x124 [ 20.264724] do_el0_svc+0x38/0x4c [ 20.264725] el0_svc+0x60/0x180 [ 20.264726] el0t_64_sync_handler+0x11c/0x150 [ 20.264728] el0t_64_sync+0x190/0x194

The advisory is shared at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability is known as CVE-2022-49759 since 03/27/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. Technical details are known, but no exploit is available.

Upgrading to version 6.1.8 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 548ea9dd5e01b0ecf53d2563004c80abd636743d/3daed6345d5880464f46adab871d208e1baa2f3a 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-2025-0649). If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

Affected

• Google Container-Optimized OS
• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• Dell Avamar
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• SolarWinds Security Event Manager
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 6.1.0
• 6.1.1
• 6.1.2
• 6.1.3
• 6.1.4
• 6.1.5
• 6.1.6
• 6.1.7

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

Timelineinfo

Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

If you want to get the best quality for vulnerability data then you always have to consider VulDB.

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