CVE-2024-50200: maple_tree: correct tree corruption on spanning store
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
maple_tree: correct tree corruption on spanning store
Patch series "maple_tree: correct tree corruption on spanning store", v3.
There has been a nasty yet subtle maple tree corruption bug that appears
to have been in existence since the inception of the algorithm.
This bug seems far more likely to happen since commit f8d112a4e657
("mm/mmap: avoid zeroing vma tree in mmap_region()"), which is the point
at which reports started to be submitted concerning this bug.
We were made definitely aware of the bug thanks to the kind efforts of
Bert Karwatzki who helped enormously in my being able to track this down
and identify the cause of it.
The bug arises when an attempt is made to perform a spanning store across
two leaf nodes, where the right leaf node is the rightmost child of the
shared parent, AND the store completely consumes the right-mode node.
This results in mas_wr_spanning_store() mitakenly duplicating the new and
existing entries at the maximum pivot within the range, and thus maple
tree corruption.
The fix patch corrects this by detecting this scenario and disallowing the
mistaken duplicate copy.
The fix patch commit message goes into great detail as to how this occurs.
This series also includes a test which reliably reproduces the issue, and
asserts that the fix works correctly.
Bert has kindly tested the fix and confirmed it resolved his issues. Also
Mikhail Gavrilov kindly reported what appears to be precisely the same
bug, which this fix should also resolve.
This patch (of 2):
There has been a subtle bug present in the maple tree implementation from
its inception.
This arises from how stores are performed - when a store occurs, it will
overwrite overlapping ranges and adjust the tree as necessary to
accommodate this.
A range may always ultimately span two leaf nodes. In this instance we
walk the two leaf nodes, determine which elements are not overwritten to
the left and to the right of the start and end of the ranges respectively
and then rebalance the tree to contain these entries and the newly
inserted one.
This kind of store is dubbed a 'spanning store' and is implemented by
mas_wr_spanning_store().
In order to reach this stage, mas_store_gfp() invokes
mas_wr_preallocate(), mas_wr_store_type() and mas_wr_walk() in turn to
walk the tree and update the object (mas) to traverse to the location
where the write should be performed, determining its store type.
When a spanning store is required, this function returns false stopping at
the parent node which contains the target range, and mas_wr_store_type()
marks the mas->store_type as wr_spanning_store to denote this fact.
When we go to perform the store in mas_wr_spanning_store(), we first
determine the elements AFTER the END of the range we wish to store (that
is, to the right of the entry to be inserted) - we do this by walking to
the NEXT pivot in the tree (i.e. r_mas.last + 1), starting at the node we
have just determined contains the range over which we intend to write.
We then turn our attention to the entries to the left of the entry we are
inserting, whose state is represented by l_mas, and copy these into a 'big
node', which is a special node which contains enough slots to contain two
leaf node's worth of data.
We then copy the entry we wish to store immediately after this - the copy
and the insertion of the new entry is performed by mas_store_b_node().
After this we copy the elements to the right of the end of the range which
we are inserting, if we have not exceeded the length of the node (i.e.
r_mas.offset <= r_mas.end).
Herein lies the bug - under very specific circumstances, this logic can
break and corrupt the maple tree.
Consider the following tree:
Height
0 Root Node
/ \
pivot = 0xffff / \ pivot = ULONG_MAX
/
---truncated---
Security readout for executives and security teams
Plain-English summary
A flaw in the Linux kernel’s maple tree memory-management structure can corrupt internal data during a rare range update. A low-privileged local user may be able to trigger serious confidentiality, integrity, or availability impacts. The supplied evidence does not establish remote reachability or active exploitation.
Executive priority
Treat this as a high-priority kernel maintenance issue, especially on shared systems. It is not evidenced as remotely exploitable or actively exploited, so emergency internet-facing response is unsupported. Expedite normal tested kernel updates and confirm reboots rather than relying solely on package installation records.
Technical view
During a spanning store across two leaf nodes, the vulnerable logic can duplicate entries when the right leaf is its parent’s rightmost child and is fully consumed. This corrupts the maple tree. The upstream correction detects that condition and prevents the duplicate copy; the patch series also includes a reproducing regression test.
Likely exposure
Potential exposure exists on systems running affected Linux kernel versions identified in the CVE data, including listed 6.1, 6.6, 6.11, and 6.12 releases. Exploitation requires local access with low privileges. Distribution backports make the running package’s fix status more reliable than its version number alone.
Exploitation context
The CVSS 3.1 assessment is 7.8: local access, low complexity, low privileges, no user interaction, and potentially high impact. The source bundle marks KEV false and provides no evidence of active exploitation or a public weaponized exploit. Bug reports and successful fix testing demonstrate reproducibility, not malicious exploitation.
Researcher notes
The vulnerable condition is narrow but affects a foundational kernel range structure used by memory-management paths. Reports increased after commit f8d112a4e657, although the description says the defect existed since the algorithm’s inception. Exact downstream exposure requires checking vendor backports; the supplied affected-version data is insufficient to infer every vulnerable package.
Mitigation direction
Apply Linux distribution kernel updates that incorporate the cited upstream correction.
Reboot affected systems after updating so the corrected kernel is running.
Prioritize shared or multi-user systems where low-privileged local code execution is available.
If updates are unavailable, consult the kernel or distribution vendor for supported mitigation guidance.
Validation and detection
Inventory running kernel versions and distribution package revisions across Linux systems.
Check vendor advisories or package changelogs for CVE-2024-50200 or the cited fix commits.
After remediation, verify each system booted into the updated kernel.
Run the upstream regression test in a controlled staging environment where appropriate.
Review kernel crash and corruption reports for symptoms requiring further investigation.
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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