CVE-2024-26939: drm/i915/vma: Fix UAF on destroy against retire race
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
drm/i915/vma: Fix UAF on destroy against retire race
Object debugging tools were sporadically reporting illegal attempts to
free a still active i915 VMA object when parking a GT believed to be idle.
[161.359441] ODEBUG: free active (active state 0) object: ffff88811643b958 object type: i915_active hint: __i915_vma_active+0x0/0x50 [i915]
[161.360082] WARNING: CPU: 5 PID: 276 at lib/debugobjects.c:514 debug_print_object+0x80/0xb0
...
[161.360304] CPU: 5 PID: 276 Comm: kworker/5:2 Not tainted 6.5.0-rc1-CI_DRM_13375-g003f860e5577+ #1
[161.360314] Hardware name: Intel Corporation Rocket Lake Client Platform/RocketLake S UDIMM 6L RVP, BIOS RKLSFWI1.R00.3173.A03.2204210138 04/21/2022
[161.360322] Workqueue: i915-unordered __intel_wakeref_put_work [i915]
[161.360592] RIP: 0010:debug_print_object+0x80/0xb0
...
[161.361347] debug_object_free+0xeb/0x110
[161.361362] i915_active_fini+0x14/0x130 [i915]
[161.361866] release_references+0xfe/0x1f0 [i915]
[161.362543] i915_vma_parked+0x1db/0x380 [i915]
[161.363129] __gt_park+0x121/0x230 [i915]
[161.363515] ____intel_wakeref_put_last+0x1f/0x70 [i915]
That has been tracked down to be happening when another thread is
deactivating the VMA inside __active_retire() helper, after the VMA's
active counter has been already decremented to 0, but before deactivation
of the VMA's object is reported to the object debugging tool.
We could prevent from that race by serializing i915_active_fini() with
__active_retire() via ref->tree_lock, but that wouldn't stop the VMA from
being used, e.g. from __i915_vma_retire() called at the end of
__active_retire(), after that VMA has been already freed by a concurrent
i915_vma_destroy() on return from the i915_active_fini(). Then, we should
rather fix the issue at the VMA level, not in i915_active.
Since __i915_vma_parked() is called from __gt_park() on last put of the
GT's wakeref, the issue could be addressed by holding the GT wakeref long
enough for __active_retire() to complete before that wakeref is released
and the GT parked.
I believe the issue was introduced by commit d93939730347 ("drm/i915:
Remove the vma refcount") which moved a call to i915_active_fini() from
a dropped i915_vma_release(), called on last put of the removed VMA kref,
to i915_vma_parked() processing path called on last put of a GT wakeref.
However, its visibility to the object debugging tool was suppressed by a
bug in i915_active that was fixed two weeks later with commit e92eb246feb9
("drm/i915/active: Fix missing debug object activation").
A VMA associated with a request doesn't acquire a GT wakeref by itself.
Instead, it depends on a wakeref held directly by the request's active
intel_context for a GT associated with its VM, and indirectly on that
intel_context's engine wakeref if the engine belongs to the same GT as the
VMA's VM. Those wakerefs are released asynchronously to VMA deactivation.
Fix the issue by getting a wakeref for the VMA's GT when activating it,
and putting that wakeref only after the VMA is deactivated. However,
exclude global GTT from that processing path, otherwise the GPU never goes
idle. Since __i915_vma_retire() may be called from atomic contexts, use
async variant of wakeref put. Also, to avoid circular locking dependency,
take care of acquiring the wakeref before VM mutex when both are needed.
v7: Add inline comments with justifications for:
- using untracked variants of intel_gt_pm_get/put() (Nirmoy),
- using async variant of _put(),
- not getting the wakeref in case of a global GTT,
- always getting the first wakeref outside vm->mutex.
v6: Since __i915_vma_active/retire() callbacks are not serialized, storing
a wakeref tracking handle inside struct i915_vma is not safe, and
there is no other good place for that. Use untracked variants of
intel_gt_pm_get/put_async().
v5: Replace "tile" with "GT" across commit description (Rodrigo),
-
---truncated---
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A race in the Linux Intel i915 graphics driver can free graphics memory-management data while another kernel thread still uses it. A local, low-privileged user may potentially trigger serious confidentiality, integrity, or availability impacts. The supplied CVSS score is 7.8.
Executive priority
Prioritize normal high-severity kernel patching, especially for multi-user endpoints or systems permitting untrusted local workloads. Accelerate remediation where Intel i915 is active. No evidence supplied supports emergency response for active exploitation.
Technical view
CVE-2024-26939 is a CWE-416 use-after-free involving i915 VMA destruction racing with asynchronous retirement during GT parking. The fix keeps the VMA’s GT awake from activation through deactivation, using asynchronous wakeref release and excluding the global GTT path.
Likely exposure
Exposure is most likely on systems running an affected Linux kernel with Intel graphics using the i915 driver. The supplied version data identifies affected kernel lines but is insufficiently structured to map every distribution package reliably. Systems without applicable Intel i915 hardware or driver use are less likely exposed.
Exploitation context
The supplied vector requires local access and low privileges, with low attack complexity and no user interaction. CISA KEV status is false, and the provided sources do not establish active exploitation or a public exploit. The race was observed sporadically through kernel object-debugging warnings.
Researcher notes
The vulnerable condition follows commit d93939730347 and involves unsynchronized VMA active/retire callbacks. Four stable fixes are referenced. The supplied affected-version list is ambiguous and the description is truncated, so exact branch boundaries should be verified through kernel or distribution advisories.
Mitigation direction
Install a vendor-supported kernel containing the applicable stable fix.
Use distribution advisories to map fixed kernel package versions accurately.
Reboot after updating and confirm the fixed kernel is running.
If updates are delayed, consult vendor guidance for safe i915 exposure reduction.
Validation and detection
Inventory kernel versions on systems using Intel graphics.
Confirm whether the i915 driver is loaded or required.
Compare package patch status against the referenced stable kernel commits.
Review kernel logs for i915 use-after-free or debug-object warnings.
Do not treat absent warnings as proof that a system is unaffected.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Potential ATT&CK relevance
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1CVSS vectors
3Timeline events
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SSVC decision data
CISA-ADPCISA Coordinator
Timestamp
Version
2.0.3
Exploitation: noneAutomatable: noTechnical Impact: total
CVSS vector scores
1 official score
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CWE-416 · source CWE mapping
Use After Free
Use After Free represents a recurring weakness pattern that can create exploitable paths when design, validation, or implementation controls are missing.