CVE-2024-38613: m68k: Fix spinlock race in kernel thread creation
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
m68k: Fix spinlock race in kernel thread creation
Context switching does take care to retain the correct lock owner across
the switch from 'prev' to 'next' tasks. This does rely on interrupts
remaining disabled for the entire duration of the switch.
This condition is guaranteed for normal process creation and context
switching between already running processes, because both 'prev' and
'next' already have interrupts disabled in their saved copies of the
status register.
The situation is different for newly created kernel threads. The status
register is set to PS_S in copy_thread(), which does leave the IPL at 0.
Upon restoring the 'next' thread's status register in switch_to() aka
resume(), interrupts then become enabled prematurely. resume() then
returns via ret_from_kernel_thread() and schedule_tail() where run queue
lock is released (see finish_task_switch() and finish_lock_switch()).
A timer interrupt calling scheduler_tick() before the lock is released
in finish_task_switch() will find the lock already taken, with the
current task as lock owner. This causes a spinlock recursion warning as
reported by Guenter Roeck.
As far as I can ascertain, this race has been opened in commit
533e6903bea0 ("m68k: split ret_from_fork(), simplify kernel_thread()")
but I haven't done a detailed study of kernel history so it may well
predate that commit.
Interrupts cannot be disabled in the saved status register copy for
kernel threads (init will complain about interrupts disabled when
finally starting user space). Disable interrupts temporarily when
switching the tasks' register sets in resume().
Note that a simple oriw 0x700,%sr after restoring sr is not enough here
- this leaves enough of a race for the 'spinlock recursion' warning to
still be observed.
Tested on ARAnyM and qemu (Quadra 800 emulation).
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
CVE-2024-38613 is a Linux kernel issue limited to the m68k architecture. A race during new kernel thread startup can enable interrupts too early and trigger a scheduler spinlock recursion warning. The practical impact appears to be reliability-related, not remote compromise, based on available sources.
Executive priority
Prioritize for niche m68k environments and emulation platforms where kernel stability matters. For most enterprise Linux fleets on non-m68k architectures, this should be tracked but is unlikely to be urgent.
Technical view
On m68k, resume()/switch_to() could restore a new kernel thread status register with IPL 0 before the runqueue lock was released. A timer interrupt reaching scheduler_tick() during this window could see the current task as lock owner and report spinlock recursion. Stable kernel commits temporarily disable interrupts while switching register sets.
Likely exposure
Exposure is likely limited to Linux systems running on m68k hardware or m68k emulation. Typical x86, x86_64, and ARM Linux deployments are not indicated as affected by the provided sources.
Exploitation context
No active exploitation is reported in the provided sources, and the CVE is not marked KEV. The described trigger is a timing race in kernel scheduling, observed through warnings during testing, not a documented attacker workflow.
Researcher notes
The CVE record lacks CVSS and CWE data. Affected-version representation is incomplete in the provided bundle, so use upstream stable commits and vendor backports as the authoritative remediation signal.
Mitigation direction
Inventory any Linux m68k systems or m68k emulators.
Update to a vendor kernel containing the linked stable fixes.
If using custom kernels, confirm the m68k resume() fix is backported.
Monitor vendor advisories for distribution-specific fixed versions.
Validation and detection
Confirm system architecture is m68k before prioritizing remediation.
Check kernel version and vendor changelog for CVE-2024-38613.
Verify the relevant stable commit is present in source builds.
Review kernel logs for spinlock recursion warnings on m68k systems.
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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