CyberRota Analysis
AI-GeneratedA race condition in the Linux kernel's IGMP query processing can lead to a Use-After-Free vulnerability, potentially causing a kernel panic when the timer for a device is armed after its memory has been freed. This issue affects systems utilizing the Linux kernel, particularly those handling IGMP queries, and should be prioritized by organizations running Linux environments that rely on network services, as it can lead to system instability and downtime. Users should ensure they apply the latest kernel updates to mitigate this vulnerability.
Original NVD Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: ipv4: igmp: Fix potential UAF in igmp_gq_start_timer() A race condition exists between device teardown (inetdev_destroy) and incoming IGMP query processing (igmp_rcv), leading to a Use-After-Free in the IGMP timer callback. During device destruction, inetdev_destroy() drops the primary reference to in_device, which can drop its refcount to 0. The actual freeing of in_device memory is deferred via RCU (using call_rcu()). Concurrently, igmp_rcv() runs under RCU read lock and obtains the in_device pointer. Because the memory is RCU-protected, CPU-0 can safely dereference in_device even if its refcount has hit 0. However, if CPU-0 calls igmp_gq_start_timer() and re-arms the timer, it attempts to acquire a reference using in_dev_hold(). This increments the refcount from 0 to 1, triggering a "refcount_t: addition on 0" warning. Since the in_device memory is still scheduled to be freed after the RCU grace period (as the free callback does not check the refcount again), the device is freed while the timer is still armed. When the timer expires, it accesses the freed memory, causing a kernel panic. Fix this by using refcount_inc_not_zero() (via a new helper in_dev_hold_safe()) to prevent acquiring a reference if the device is already being destroyed. If the refcount is 0, we do not arm the timer. A similar issue in IPv6 MLD is fixed in a subsequent patch.