CVE-2023-52621: bpf: Check rcu_read_lock_trace_held() before calling bpf map helpers

Severity: high (CVSS 7.8 v3.1)
Exploited in the wild: not listed in CISA KEV
EPSS: 0.2% probability of exploitation in the next 30 days
Public exploit or detection template: none known
Published: 2024-03-26 · updated 2026-06-17
Weakness: CWE-617

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: bpf: Check rcu_read_lock_trace_held() before calling bpf map helpers These three bpf_map_{lookup,update,delete}_elem() helpers are also available for sleepable bpf program, so add the corresponding lock assertion for sleepable bpf program, otherwise the following warning will be reported when a sleepable bpf program manipulates bpf map under interpreter mode (aka bpf_jit_enable=0): WARNING: CPU: 3 PID: 4985 at kernel/bpf/helpers.c:40 ...... CPU: 3 PID: 4985 Comm: test_progs Not tainted 6.6.0+ #2 Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996) ...... RIP: 0010:bpf_map_lookup_elem+0x54/0x60 ...... Call Trace: <TASK> ? __warn+0xa5/0x240 ? bpf_map_lookup_elem+0x54/0x60 ? report_bug+0x1ba/0x1f0 ? handle_bug+0x40/0x80 ? exc_invalid_op+0x18/0x50 ? asm_exc_invalid_op+0x1b/0x20 ? __pfx_bpf_map_lookup_elem+0x10/0x10 ? rcu_lockdep_current_cpu_online+0x65/0xb0 ? rcu_is_watching+0x23/0x50 ? bpf_map_lookup_elem+0x54/0x60 ? __pfx_bpf_map_lookup_elem+0x10/0x10 ___bpf_prog_run+0x513/0x3b70 __bpf_prog_run32+0x9d/0xd0 ? __bpf_prog_enter_sleepable_recur+0xad/0x120 ? __bpf_prog_enter_sleepable_recur+0x3e/0x120 bpf_trampoline_6442580665+0x4d/0x1000 __x64_sys_getpgid+0x5/0x30 ? do_syscall_64+0x36/0xb0 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x6e/0x76 </TASK>

Affected products

Debian Linux: 11.0
Linux kernel: from 5.10 before 5.10.237; from 5.11 before 5.15.181; from 5.16 before 6.1.77; from 6.2 before 6.6.16; from 6.7 before 6.7.4 — fixed in 5.10.237, 5.15.181, 6.1.77, 6.6.16, 6.7.4

How to fix

Upgrade to a fixed version: Linux kernel 5.10.237, 5.15.181, 6.1.77, 6.6.16. Check the vendor advisory for mitigations.

References

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