Linux Kernel up to 5.15.60/5.18.17/5.19.1 rcutorture /kvm.sh torture_onoff initialization

Summaryinfo

A vulnerability, which was classified as problematic, was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.15.60/5.18.17/5.19.1. This affects the function torture_onoff of the file /kvm.sh of the component rcutorture. Executing a manipulation can lead to initialization. The identification of this vulnerability is CVE-2022-50177. There is no exploit available. You should upgrade the affected component.

Detailsinfo

A vulnerability classified as problematic was found in Linux Kernel up to 5.15.60/5.18.17/5.19.1. This vulnerability affects the function torture_onoff of the file /kvm.sh of the component rcutorture. The manipulation with an unknown input leads to a initialization vulnerability. The CWE definition for the vulnerability is CWE-665. The product does not initialize or incorrectly initializes a resource, which might leave the resource in an unexpected state when it is accessed or used. The impact remains unknown. CVE summarizes:

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: rcutorture: Fix ksoftirqd boosting timing and iteration The RCU priority boosting can fail in two situations: 1) If (nr_cpus= > maxcpus=), which means if the total number of CPUs is higher than those brought online at boot, then torture_onoff() may later bring up CPUs that weren't online on boot. Now since rcutorture initialization only boosts the ksoftirqds of the CPUs that have been set online on boot, the CPUs later set online by torture_onoff won't benefit from the boost, making RCU priority boosting fail. 2) The ksoftirqd kthreads are boosted after the creation of rcu_torture_boost() kthreads, which opens a window large enough for these rcu_torture_boost() kthreads to wait (despite running at FIFO priority) for ksoftirqds that are still running at SCHED_NORMAL priority. The issues can trigger for example with: ./kvm.sh --configs TREE01 --kconfig "CONFIG_RCU_BOOST=y" [ 34.968561] rcu-torture: !!! [ 34.968627] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 35.014054] WARNING: CPU: 4 PID: 114 at kernel/rcu/rcutorture.c:1979 rcu_torture_stats_print+0x5ad/0x610 [ 35.052043] Modules linked in: [ 35.069138] CPU: 4 PID: 114 Comm: rcu_torture_sta Not tainted 5.18.0-rc1 #1 [ 35.096424] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS rel-1.14.0-0-g155821a-rebuilt.opensuse.org 04/01/2014 [ 35.154570] RIP: 0010:rcu_torture_stats_print+0x5ad/0x610 [ 35.198527] Code: 63 1b 02 00 74 02 0f 0b 48 83 3d 35 63 1b 02 00 74 02 0f 0b 48 83 3d 21 63 1b 02 00 74 02 0f 0b 48 83 3d 0d 63 1b 02 00 74 02 <0f> 0b 83 eb 01 0f 8e ba fc ff ff 0f 0b e9 b3 fc ff f82 [ 37.251049] RSP: 0000:ffffa92a0050bdf8 EFLAGS: 00010202 [ 37.277320] rcu: De-offloading 8 [ 37.290367] RAX: 0000000000000000 RBX: 0000000000000001 RCX: 0000000000000001 [ 37.290387] RDX: 0000000000000000 RSI: 00000000ffffbfff RDI: 00000000ffffffff [ 37.290398] RBP: 000000000000007b R08: 0000000000000000 R09: c0000000ffffbfff [ 37.290407] R10: 000000000000002a R11: ffffa92a0050bc18 R12: ffffa92a0050be20 [ 37.290417] R13: ffffa92a0050be78 R14: 0000000000000000 R15: 000000000001bea0 [ 37.290427] FS: 0000000000000000(0000) GS:ffff96045eb00000(0000) knlGS:0000000000000000 [ 37.290448] CS: 0010 DS: 0000 ES: 0000 CR0: 0000000080050033 [ 37.290460] CR2: 0000000000000000 CR3: 000000001dc0c000 CR4: 00000000000006e0 [ 37.290470] Call Trace: [ 37.295049] <TASK> [ 37.295065] ? preempt_count_add+0x63/0x90 [ 37.295095] ? _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x12/0x40 [ 37.295125] ? rcu_torture_stats_print+0x610/0x610 [ 37.295143] rcu_torture_stats+0x29/0x70 [ 37.295160] kthread+0xe3/0x110 [ 37.295176] ? kthread_complete_and_exit+0x20/0x20 [ 37.295193] ret_from_fork+0x22/0x30 [ 37.295218] </TASK> Fix this with boosting the ksoftirqds kthreads from the boosting hotplug callback itself and before the boosting kthreads are created.

The advisory is shared for download at git.kernel.org. This vulnerability was named CVE-2022-50177 since 06/18/2025. The exploitation appears to be difficult. There are known technical details, but no exploit is available.

Upgrading to version 5.15.61, 5.18.18 or 5.19.2 eliminates this vulnerability. Applying the patch 621595f771a6bd458ffbc40679e222ba5d0a7a1e/8e84693621f53bf894af9905a6531e0530402145/7e7472c62c6ded322afd9d5ac8bb20a08e7c5674/3002153a91a9732a6d1d0bb95138593c7da15743 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-2025-1350). Once again VulDB remains the best source for vulnerability data.

Affected

• Debian Linux
• Amazon Linux 2
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• Ubuntu Linux
• SUSE Linux
• Oracle Linux
• SUSE openSUSE
• Open Source Linux Kernel
• RESF Rocky Linux
• Dell Avamar
• Dell NetWorker
• Dell Secure Connect Gateway
• IBM QRadar SIEM

Productinfo

Type

• Operating System

Vendor

• Linux

Name

• Kernel

Version

• 5.15.0
• 5.15.1
• 5.15.2
• 5.15.3
• 5.15.4
• 5.15.5
• 5.15.6
• 5.15.7
• 5.15.8
• 5.15.9
• 5.15.10
• 5.15.11
• 5.15.12
• 5.15.13
• 5.15.14
• 5.15.15
• 5.15.16
• 5.15.17
• 5.15.18
• 5.15.19
• 5.15.20
• 5.15.21
• 5.15.22
• 5.15.23
• 5.15.24
• 5.15.25
• 5.15.26
• 5.15.27
• 5.15.28
• 5.15.29
• 5.15.30
• 5.15.31
• 5.15.32
• 5.15.33
• 5.15.34
• 5.15.35
• 5.15.36
• 5.15.37
• 5.15.38
• 5.15.39
• 5.15.40
• 5.15.41
• 5.15.42
• 5.15.43
• 5.15.44
• 5.15.45
• 5.15.46
• 5.15.47
• 5.15.48
• 5.15.49
• 5.15.50
• 5.15.51
• 5.15.52
• 5.15.53
• 5.15.54
• 5.15.55
• 5.15.56
• 5.15.57
• 5.15.58
• 5.15.59
• 5.15.60
• 5.18.0
• 5.18.1
• 5.18.2
• 5.18.3
• 5.18.4
• 5.18.5
• 5.18.6
• 5.18.7
• 5.18.8
• 5.18.9
• 5.18.10
• 5.18.11
• 5.18.12
• 5.18.13
• 5.18.14
• 5.18.15
• 5.18.16
• 5.18.17
• 5.19.0
• 5.19.1

License

• open-source

Website

• Vendor: https://www.kernel.org/

CPE 2.3info

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CPE 2.2info

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CVSSv2info

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Threat Intelligenceinfo

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Sourcesinfo

Entryinfo

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