Welcome to our in-depth analysis of a recently identified high-severity vulnerability in the Linux kernel, specifically within the OCFS2 (Oracle Cluster File System Version 2) file system module. This issue is labeled as CVE-2024-49966 and has been given a high severity rating with a CVSS (Common Vulnerability Scoring System) score of 7.8, indicating a significant risk.
Before diving into the technical specifics of the CVE, it's crucial to understand the software affected. OCFS2 is an open-source, POSIX-compliant shared disk file system developed initially by Oracle for use on Linux clusters. It's designed to allow multiple nodes in a cluster to simultaneously access a single disk that's connected to all of them via the network. OCFS2 is commonly used in environments where data consistency and integrity are vital, such as database clusters and high-performance computing systems.
The vulnerability in question stems from improper handling of specific operations under error conditions within the OCFS2 module. The function ocfs2_global_read_info() is designed to read global quota information and schedule a synchronization operation (dqi_sync_work) at the end of the process. However, if an error occurs after the global quota has been successfully read, the system would previously not cancel the scheduled dqi_sync_work before releasing the quota management info object (oinfo).
This oversight can lead to a situation where there is an active delayed work object while oinfo is being freed, triggering warnings and potential system instability. The warnings, particularly pronounced with CONFIG_DEBUG_OBJECTS_* enabled, indicate the freeing of an active object of type 'timer_list', specifically related to the delayed synchronization work.
Failing to cancel the dqi_sync_work can result in memory corruption, system crashes, or other undefined behaviors, which are particularly dangerous in a clustered environment like that typically managed with OCFS2. Such defects could particularly impact the reliability and availability of critical services running on the cluster.
The patch for CVE-2024-49966 corrects this flaw by ensuring that the dqi_sync_work is cancelled before freeing oinfo in the event of an error during the ocfs2_global_read_info() process. Furthermore, the patch modifies the error handling to return the actual status rather than a generic -1, thus providing clearer error responses and aiding in troubleshooting and logging.
Administrators of systems running Linux clusters with the OCFS2 file system should promptly apply the security patch related to CVE-2024-49966. Keeping systems updated is critical to maintaining the security and stability of the infrastructure, especially in environments where high availability and data integrity are key. As always, staying informed about vulnerabilities and updates is vital for cybersecurity health, and we at LinuxPatch are here to keep you informed and secure.
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