CVE-2024-57849: s390/cpum_sf: Handle CPU hotplug remove during sampling

Vulnerability summary

CVE-2024-57849 is a high (CVSS 7.8) Use After Free vulnerability in linux. EPSS estimates a 0.21% chance of exploitation in the next 30 days, higher than 11% of scored vulnerabilities.

Timeline

1. 11-01-2025
   PublishedVulnerability first disclosed.
2. 15-10-2026
   Last modifiedVulnerability information updated.

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: s390/cpum_sf: Handle CPU hotplug remove during sampling CPU hotplug remove handling triggers the following function call sequence: CPUHP_AP_PERF_S390_SF_ONLINE --> s390_pmu_sf_offline_cpu() ... CPUHP_AP_PERF_ONLINE --> perf_event_exit_cpu() The s390 CPUMF sampling CPU hotplug handler invokes: s390_pmu_sf_offline_cpu() +--> cpusf_pmu_setup() +--> setup_pmc_cpu() +--> deallocate_buffers() This function de-allocates all sampling data buffers (SDBs) allocated for that CPU at event initialization. It also clears the PMU_F_RESERVED bit. The CPU is gone and can not be sampled. With the event still being active on the removed CPU, the CPU event hotplug support in kernel performance subsystem triggers the following function calls on the removed CPU: perf_event_exit_cpu() +--> perf_event_exit_cpu_context() +--> __perf_event_exit_context() +--> __perf_remove_from_context() +--> event_sched_out() +--> cpumsf_pmu_del() +--> cpumsf_pmu_stop() +--> hw_perf_event_update() to stop and remove the event. During removal of the event, the sampling device driver tries to read out the remaining samples from the sample data buffers (SDBs). But they have already been freed (and may have been re-assigned). This may lead to a use after free situation in which case the samples are most likely invalid. In the best case the memory has not been reassigned and still contains valid data. Remedy this situation and check if the CPU is still in reserved state (bit PMU_F_RESERVED set). In this case the SDBs have not been released an contain valid data. This is always the case when the event is removed (and no CPU hotplug off occured). If the PMU_F_RESERVED bit is not set, the SDB buffers are gone.

• CWE-416Use After FreeThe product reuses or references memory after it has been freed. At some point afterward, the memory may be allocated again and saved in another pointer, while the original pointer references a location somewhere within the new allocation. Any operations using the original pointer are no longer valid because the memory "belongs" to the code that operates on the new pointer.