Summary
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tracing: Fix race issue...
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
tracing: Fix race issue between cpu buffer write and swap
Warning happened in rb_end_commit() at code:
if (RB_WARN_ON(cpu_buffer, !local_read(&cpu_buffer->committing)))
WARNING: CPU: 0 PID: 139 at kernel/trace/ring_buffer.c:3142
rb_commit+0x402/0x4a0
Call Trace:
ring_buffer_unlock_commit+0x42/0x250
trace_buffer_unlock_commit_regs+0x3b/0x250
trace_event_buffer_commit+0xe5/0x440
trace_event_buffer_reserve+0x11c/0x150
trace_event_raw_event_sched_switch+0x23c/0x2c0
__traceiter_sched_switch+0x59/0x80
__schedule+0x72b/0x1580
schedule+0x92/0x120
worker_thread+0xa0/0x6f0
It is because the race between writing event into cpu buffer and swapping
cpu buffer through file per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot:
Write on CPU 0 Swap buffer by per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot on CPU 1
tracing_snapshot_write()
[...]
ring_buffer_lock_reserve()
cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 1. Suppose find 'cpu_buffer_a';
[...]
rb_reserve_next_event()
[...]
ring_buffer_swap_cpu()
if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_a->committing))
goto out_dec;
if (local_read(&cpu_buffer_b->committing))
goto out_dec;
buffer_a->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_b;
buffer_b->buffers[cpu] = cpu_buffer_a;
// 2. cpu_buffer has swapped here.
rb_start_commit(cpu_buffer);
if (unlikely(READ_ONCE(cpu_buffer->buffer)
!= buffer)) { // 3. This check passed due to 'cpu_buffer->buffer'
[...] // has not changed here.
return NULL;
}
cpu_buffer_b->buffer = buffer_a;
cpu_buffer_a->buffer = buffer_b;
[...]
// 4. Reserve event from 'cpu_buffer_a'.
ring_buffer_unlock_commit()
[...]
cpu_buffer = buffer->buffers[cpu]; // 5. Now find 'cpu_buffer_b' !!!
rb_commit(cpu_buffer)
rb_end_commit() // 6. WARN for the wrong 'committing' state !!!
Based on above analysis, we can easily reproduce by following testcase:
#!/bin/bash
dmesg -n 7
sysctl -w kernel.panic_on_warn=1
TR=/sys/kernel/tracing
echo 7 > ${TR}/buffer_size_kb
echo "sched:sched_switch" > ${TR}/set_event
while [ true ]; do
echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot
done &
while [ true ]; do
echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot
done &
while [ true ]; do
echo 1 > ${TR}/per_cpu/cpu0/snapshot
done &
To fix it, IIUC, we can use smp_call_function_single() to do the swap on
the target cpu where the buffer is located, so that above race would be
avoided.
Impact
Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing. Typical impact: TOCTOU exploits, data corruption, or privilege escalation.
CVE-2023-53368 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (Medium). The vector is requires local access, low privileges required, and no user interaction. A CVSS score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether this affects your application depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable in your environment. No fixed version is listed yet, so configuration controls and monitoring matter more in the interim.
Affected versions
Security releases
Kodem intelligence
Severity tells you how bad this could be in the worst case. It does not tell you whether you are exposed. Exploitability and impact are functions of runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A vulnerable package can sit in your dependency tree and never run.
Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter. Kodem's runtime-powered SCA identifies whether this CVE is reachable in your applications.
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Frequently Asked Questions
- What is CVE-2023-53368? CVE-2023-53368 is a medium-severity race condition vulnerability. No fixed version is listed yet. Multiple concurrent operations access a shared resource without proper synchronization, producing unpredictable results depending on timing.
- How severe is CVE-2023-53368? CVE-2023-53368 has a CVSS score of 4.7 (Medium). This score reflects the worst-case severity of the vulnerability, not your specific exposure. Whether it represents real risk in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable.
- Is there a fix for CVE-2023-53368? No fixed version is listed for CVE-2023-53368 yet. Monitor the advisory for updates and apply mitigations in the interim.
- Is CVE-2023-53368 exploitable, and should I be worried? Whether CVE-2023-53368 is exploitable in your environment depends on whether the vulnerable code is present and reachable. A CVSS score is a worst-case rating; it does not account for your specific deployment, configuration, or usage patterns. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to show which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so you can focus on the ones that represent real risk. Get a demo
- What actually determines whether CVE-2023-53368 is exploitable, and how bad it is? Exploitability and impact are not fixed properties of a CVE. They depend on runtime truth: whether the vulnerable code is present, reachable, and actually executes in your application. A high CVSS score on a dependency that never runs is not the same as real risk. Kodem, an Intelligent Application Security platform, uses runtime intelligence to reveal which vulnerabilities actually execute in production, so teams prioritize the ones that genuinely matter.