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Security Bulletin: Technical Support Appliance - possible denial of service

Security Bulletin


Summary

A flaw in TCP/IP may allow a denial of service

Vulnerability Details

CVEID:   CVE-2024-50154
DESCRIPTION:   In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tcp/dccp: Don't use timer_pending() in reqsk_queue_unlink(). Martin KaFai Lau reported use-after-free [0] in reqsk_timer_handler(). """ We are seeing a use-after-free from a bpf prog attached to trace_tcp_retransmit_synack. The program passes the req->sk to the bpf_sk_storage_get_tracing kernel helper which does check for null before using it. """ The commit 83fccfc3940c ("inet: fix potential deadlock in reqsk_queue_unlink()") added timer_pending() in reqsk_queue_unlink() not to call del_timer_sync() from reqsk_timer_handler(), but it introduced a small race window. Before the timer is called, expire_timers() calls detach_timer(timer, true) to clear timer->entry.pprev and marks it as not pending. If reqsk_queue_unlink() checks timer_pending() just after expire_timers() calls detach_timer(), TCP will miss del_timer_sync(); the reqsk timer will continue running and send multiple SYN+ACKs until it expires. The reported UAF could happen if req->sk is close()d earlier than the timer expiration, which is 63s by default. The scenario would be 1. inet_csk_complete_hashdance() calls inet_csk_reqsk_queue_drop(), but del_timer_sync() is missed 2. reqsk timer is executed and scheduled again 3. req->sk is accept()ed and reqsk_put() decrements rsk_refcnt, but reqsk timer still has another one, and inet_csk_accept() does not clear req->sk for non-TFO sockets 4. sk is close()d 5. reqsk timer is executed again, and BPF touches req->sk Let's not use timer_pending() by passing the caller context to __inet_csk_reqsk_queue_drop(). Note that reqsk timer is pinned, so the issue does not happen in most use cases. [1] [0] BUG: KFENCE: use-after-free read in bpf_sk_storage_get_tracing+0x2e/0x1b0 Use-after-free read at 0x00000000a891fb3a (in kfence-#1): bpf_sk_storage_get_tracing+0x2e/0x1b0 bpf_prog_5ea3e95db6da0438_tcp_retransmit_synack+0x1d20/0x1dda bpf_trace_run2+0x4c/0xc0 tcp_rtx_synack+0xf9/0x100 reqsk_timer_handler+0xda/0x3d0 run_timer_softirq+0x292/0x8a0 irq_exit_rcu+0xf5/0x320 sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x6d/0x80 asm_sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x16/0x20 intel_idle_irq+0x5a/0xa0 cpuidle_enter_state+0x94/0x273 cpu_startup_entry+0x15e/0x260 start_secondary+0x8a/0x90 secondary_startup_64_no_verify+0xfa/0xfb kfence-#1: 0x00000000a72cc7b6-0x00000000d97616d9, size=2376, cache=TCPv6 allocated by task 0 on cpu 9 at 260507.901592s: sk_prot_alloc+0x35/0x140 sk_clone_lock+0x1f/0x3f0 inet_csk_clone_lock+0x15/0x160 tcp_create_openreq_child+0x1f/0x410 tcp_v6_syn_recv_sock+0x1da/0x700 tcp_check_req+0x1fb/0x510 tcp_v6_rcv+0x98b/0x1420 ipv6_list_rcv+0x2258/0x26e0 napi_complete_done+0x5b1/0x2990 mlx5e_napi_poll+0x2ae/0x8d0 net_rx_action+0x13e/0x590 irq_exit_rcu+0xf5/0x320 common_interrupt+0x80/0x90 asm_common_interrupt+0x22/0x40 cpuidle_enter_state+0xfb/0x273 cpu_startup_entry+0x15e/0x260 start_secondary+0x8a/0x90 secondary_startup_64_no_verify+0xfa/0xfb freed by task 0 on cpu 9 at 260507.927527s: rcu_core_si+0x4ff/0xf10 irq_exit_rcu+0xf5/0x320 sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x6d/0x80 asm_sysvec_apic_timer_interrupt+0x16/0x20 cpuidle_enter_state+0xfb/0x273 cpu_startup_entry+0x15e/0x260 start_secondary+0x8a/0x90 secondary_startup_64_no_verify+0xfa/0xfb
CWE:   CWE-416: Use After Free
CVSS Source:   NVD
CVSS Base score:   7
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

CVEID:   CVE-2025-38086
DESCRIPTION:   In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: net: ch9200: fix uninitialised access during mii_nway_restart In mii_nway_restart() the code attempts to call mii->mdio_read which is ch9200_mdio_read(). ch9200_mdio_read() utilises a local buffer called "buff", which is initialised with control_read(). However "buff" is conditionally initialised inside control_read(): if (err == size) { memcpy(data, buf, size); } If the condition of "err == size" is not met, then "buff" remains uninitialised. Once this happens the uninitialised "buff" is accessed and returned during ch9200_mdio_read(): return (buff[0] | buff[1] << 8); The problem stems from the fact that ch9200_mdio_read() ignores the return value of control_read(), leading to uinit-access of "buff". To fix this we should check the return value of control_read() and return early on error.
CVSS Source:   Red Hat
CVSS Base score:   7
CVSS Vector:   (CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:H/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H)

Affected Products and Versions

Affected Product(s)Version(s)
Technical Support ApplianceAll

Remediation/Fixes

Update IBM Technical Support Appliance to 3.1.0.  Refer to the online support documentation on how to perform an update. 

Workarounds and Mitigations

None

Get Notified about Future Security Bulletins

References

Off

Acknowledgement

Change History

14 Oct 2025: Initial Publication

*The CVSS Environment Score is customer environment specific and will ultimately impact the Overall CVSS Score. Customers can evaluate the impact of this vulnerability in their environments by accessing the links in the Reference section of this Security Bulletin.

Disclaimer

According to the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST), the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) is an "industry open standard designed to convey vulnerability severity and help to determine urgency and priority of response." IBM PROVIDES THE CVSS SCORES ""AS IS"" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF ANY ACTUAL OR POTENTIAL SECURITY VULNERABILITY. In addition to other efforts to address potential vulnerabilities, IBM periodically updates the record of components contained in our product offerings. As part of that effort, if IBM identifies previously unidentified packages in a product/service inventory, we address relevant vulnerabilities regardless of CVE date. Inclusion of an older CVEID does not demonstrate that the referenced product has been used by IBM since that date, nor that IBM was aware of a vulnerability as of that date. We are making clients aware of relevant vulnerabilities as we become aware of them. "Affected Products and Versions" referenced in IBM Security Bulletins are intended to be only products and versions that are supported by IBM and have not passed their end-of-support or warranty date. Thus, failure to reference unsupported or extended-support products and versions in this Security Bulletin does not constitute a determination by IBM that they are unaffected by the vulnerability. Reference to one or more unsupported versions in this Security Bulletin shall not create an obligation for IBM to provide fixes for any unsupported or extended-support products or versions.

Document Location

Worldwide

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Document Information

Modified date:
14 October 2025

Initial Publish date:
14 October 2025

UID

ibm17247857