Security assessments indicate that CVE-2021-46957 presents a notable risk, potentially requiring prompt mitigation.
Status: Analyzed
Last updated: 🕡 14 Mar 2025, 18:42 UTC
Originally published on: 🕖 27 Feb 2024, 19:04 UTC
Time between publication and last update: 380 days
CVSS Release: version 3
134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0
Secondary
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H
CVE-2021-46957: In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: riscv/kprobe: fix kernel panic when invoking sys_read traced by kprobe The execution of sys_read end up hitting a BUG_ON() in __find_get_block after installing kprobe at sys_read, the BUG message like the following: [ 65.708663] ------------[ cut here ]------------ [ 65.709987] kernel BUG at fs/buffer.c:1251! [ 65.711283] Kernel BUG [#1] [ 65.712032] Modules linked in: [ 65.712925] CPU: 0 PID: 51 Comm: sh Not tainted 5.12.0-rc4 #1 [ 65.714407] Hardware name: riscv-virtio,qemu (DT) [ 65.715696] epc : __find_get_block+0x218/0x2c8 [ 65.716835] ra : __getblk_gfp+0x1c/0x4a [ 65.717831] epc : ffffffe00019f11e ra : ffffffe00019f56a sp : ffffffe002437930 [ 65.719553] gp : ffffffe000f06030 tp : ffffffe0015abc00 t0 : ffffffe00191e038 [ 65.721290] t1 : ffffffe00191e038 t2 : 000000000000000a s0 : ffffffe002437960 [ 65.723051] s1 : ffffffe00160ad00 a0 : ffffffe00160ad00 a1 : 000000000000012a [ 65.724772] a2 : 0000000000000400 a3 : 0000000000000008 a4 : 0000000000000040 [ 65.726545] a5 : 0000000000000000 a6 : ffffffe00191e000 a7 : 0000000000000000 [ 65.728308] s2 : 000000000000012a s3 : 0000000000000400 s4 : 0000000000000008 [ 65.730049] s5 : 000000000000006c s6 : ffffffe00240f800 s7 : ffffffe000f080a8 [ 65.731802] s8 : 0000000000000001 s9 : 000000000000012a s10: 0000000000000008 [ 65.733516] s11: 0000000000000008 t3 : 00000000000003ff t4 : 000000000000000f [ 65.734434] t5 : 00000000000003ff t6 : 0000000000040000 [ 65.734613] status: 0000000000000100 badaddr: 0000000000000000 cause: 0000000000000003 [ 65.734901] Call Trace: [ 65.735076] [<ffffffe00019f11e>] __find_get_block+0x218/0x2c8 [ 65.735417] [<ffffffe00020017a>] __ext4_get_inode_loc+0xb2/0x2f6 [ 65.735618] [<ffffffe000201b6c>] ext4_get_inode_loc+0x3a/0x8a [ 65.735802] [<ffffffe000203380>] ext4_reserve_inode_write+0x2e/0x8c [ 65.735999] [<ffffffe00020357a>] __ext4_mark_inode_dirty+0x4c/0x18e [ 65.736208] [<ffffffe000206bb0>] ext4_dirty_inode+0x46/0x66 [ 65.736387] [<ffffffe000192914>] __mark_inode_dirty+0x12c/0x3da [ 65.736576] [<ffffffe000180dd2>] touch_atime+0x146/0x150 [ 65.736748] [<ffffffe00010d762>] filemap_read+0x234/0x246 [ 65.736920] [<ffffffe00010d834>] generic_file_read_iter+0xc0/0x114 [ 65.737114] [<ffffffe0001f5d7a>] ext4_file_read_iter+0x42/0xea [ 65.737310] [<ffffffe000163f2c>] new_sync_read+0xe2/0x15a [ 65.737483] [<ffffffe000165814>] vfs_read+0xca/0xf2 [ 65.737641] [<ffffffe000165bae>] ksys_read+0x5e/0xc8 [ 65.737816] [<ffffffe000165c26>] sys_read+0xe/0x16 [ 65.737973] [<ffffffe000003972>] ret_from_syscall+0x0/0x2 [ 65.738858] ---[ end trace fe93f985456c935d ]--- A simple reproducer looks like: echo 'p:myprobe sys_read fd=%a0 buf=%a1 count=%a2' > /sys/kernel/debug/tracing/kprobe_events echo 1 > /sys/kernel/debug/tracing/events/kprobes/myprobe/enable cat /sys/kernel/debug/tracing/trace Here's what happens to hit that BUG_ON(): 1) After installing kprobe at entry of sys_read, the first instruction is replaced by 'ebreak' instruction on riscv64 platform. 2) Once kernel reach the 'ebreak' instruction at the entry of sys_read, it trap into the riscv breakpoint handler, where it do something to setup for coming single-step of origin instruction, including backup the 'sstatus' in pt_regs, followed by disable interrupt during single stepping via clear 'SIE' bit of 'sstatus' in pt_regs. 3) Then kernel restore to the instruction slot contains two instructions, one is original instruction at entry of sys_read, the other is 'ebreak'. Here it trigger a 'Instruction page fault' exception (value at 'scause' is '0xc'), if PF is not filled into PageTabe for that slot yet. 4) Again kernel trap into page fault exception handler, where it choose different policy according to the state of running kprobe. Because afte 2) the state is KPROBE_HIT_SS, so kernel reset the current kp ---truncated---
The exploitability of CVE-2021-46957 depends on two key factors: attack complexity (the level of effort required to execute an exploit) and privileges required (the access level an attacker needs).
CVE-2021-46957 presents an accessible attack vector with minimal effort required. Restricting access controls and implementing security updates are critical to reducing exploitation risks.
A lower complexity and fewer privilege requirements make exploitation easier. Security teams should evaluate these aspects to determine the urgency of mitigation strategies, such as patch management and access control policies.
Attack Complexity (AC) measures the difficulty in executing an exploit. A high AC means that specific conditions must be met, making an attack more challenging, while a low AC means the vulnerability can be exploited with minimal effort.
Privileges Required (PR) determine the level of system access necessary for an attack. Vulnerabilities requiring no privileges are more accessible to attackers, whereas high privilege requirements limit exploitation to authorized users with elevated access.
Above is the CVSS Sub-score Breakdown for CVE-2021-46957, illustrating how Base, Impact, and Exploitability factors combine to form the overall severity rating. A higher sub-score typically indicates a more severe or easier-to-exploit vulnerability.
Below is the Impact Analysis for CVE-2021-46957, showing how Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability might be affected if the vulnerability is exploited. Higher values usually signal greater potential damage.
The EPSS score estimates the probability that this vulnerability will be exploited in the near future.
EPSS Score: 0.043% (probability of exploit)
EPSS Percentile: 12.0%
(lower percentile = lower relative risk)
This vulnerability is less risky than approximately 88.0% of others.
NVD-CWE-noinfo
Stay updated with real-time CVE vulnerabilities and take action to secure your systems. Enhance your cybersecurity posture with the latest threat intelligence and mitigation techniques. Develop the skills necessary to defend against CVEs and secure critical infrastructures. Join the top cybersecurity professionals safeguarding today's infrastructures.