CVE-2021-47304

MEDIUM

Linux Kernel 5.10-5.10.52 - Double Free in TCP Congestion Control Initialization

Title source: llm
STIX 2.1

Description

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp: fix tcp_init_transfer() to not reset icsk_ca_initialized This commit fixes a bug (found by syzkaller) that could cause spurious double-initializations for congestion control modules, which could cause memory leaks or other problems for congestion control modules (like CDG) that allocate memory in their init functions. The buggy scenario constructed by syzkaller was something like: (1) create a TCP socket (2) initiate a TFO connect via sendto() (3) while socket is in TCP_SYN_SENT, call setsockopt(TCP_CONGESTION), which calls: tcp_set_congestion_control() -> tcp_reinit_congestion_control() -> tcp_init_congestion_control() (4) receive ACK, connection is established, call tcp_init_transfer(), set icsk_ca_initialized=0 (without first calling cc->release()), call tcp_init_congestion_control() again. Note that in this sequence tcp_init_congestion_control() is called twice without a cc->release() call in between. Thus, for CC modules that allocate memory in their init() function, e.g, CDG, a memory leak may occur. The syzkaller tool managed to find a reproducer that triggered such a leak in CDG. The bug was introduced when that commit 8919a9b31eb4 ("tcp: Only init congestion control if not initialized already") introduced icsk_ca_initialized and set icsk_ca_initialized to 0 in tcp_init_transfer(), missing the possibility for a sequence like the one above, where a process could call setsockopt(TCP_CONGESTION) in state TCP_SYN_SENT (i.e. after the connect() or TFO open sendmsg()), which would call tcp_init_congestion_control(). It did not intend to reset any initialization that the user had already explicitly made; it just missed the possibility of that particular sequence (which syzkaller managed to find).

Scores

CVSS v3 5.5
EPSS 0.0024
EPSS Percentile 14.3%
Attack Vector LOCAL
CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H

CISA SSVC

Vulnrichment
Exploitation none
Automatable no
Technical Impact partial

Details

CWE
CWE-415
Status published
Products (10)
Linux/Linux < 5.10
Linux/Linux 5.10
Linux/Linux 5.10.53 - 5.10.*
Linux/Linux 5.13.5 - 5.13.*
Linux/Linux 5.14
Linux/Linux 8919a9b31eb4fb4c0a93e5fb350a626924302aa6 - ad4ba3404931745a5977ad12db4f0c34080e52f7
Linux/Linux 8919a9b31eb4fb4c0a93e5fb350a626924302aa6 - be5d1b61a2ad28c7e57fe8bfa277373e8ecffcdc
Linux/Linux 8919a9b31eb4fb4c0a93e5fb350a626924302aa6 - fe77b85828ca9ddc42977b79de9e40d18545b4fe
linux/linux_kernel 5.14 rc1
linux/linux_kernel 5.10 - 5.10.53
Published May 21, 2024
Tracked Since Feb 18, 2026