๐Ÿ” CVE Alert

CVE-2022-49441

MEDIUM 5.5

tty: fix deadlock caused by calling printk() under tty_port->lock

CVSS Score
5.5
EPSS Score
0.0%
EPSS Percentile
0th

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: tty: fix deadlock caused by calling printk() under tty_port->lock pty_write() invokes kmalloc() which may invoke a normal printk() to print failure message. This can cause a deadlock in the scenario reported by syz-bot below: CPU0 CPU1 CPU2 ---- ---- ---- lock(console_owner); lock(&port_lock_key); lock(&port->lock); lock(&port_lock_key); lock(&port->lock); lock(console_owner); As commit dbdda842fe96 ("printk: Add console owner and waiter logic to load balance console writes") said, such deadlock can be prevented by using printk_deferred() in kmalloc() (which is invoked in the section guarded by the port->lock). But there are too many printk() on the kmalloc() path, and kmalloc() can be called from anywhere, so changing printk() to printk_deferred() is too complicated and inelegant. Therefore, this patch chooses to specify __GFP_NOWARN to kmalloc(), so that printk() will not be called, and this deadlock problem can be avoided. Syzbot reported the following lockdep error: ====================================================== WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected 5.4.143-00237-g08ccc19a-dirty #10 Not tainted ------------------------------------------------------ syz-executor.4/29420 is trying to acquire lock: ffffffff8aedb2a0 (console_owner){....}-{0:0}, at: console_trylock_spinning kernel/printk/printk.c:1752 [inline] ffffffff8aedb2a0 (console_owner){....}-{0:0}, at: vprintk_emit+0x2ca/0x470 kernel/printk/printk.c:2023 but task is already holding lock: ffff8880119c9158 (&port->lock){-.-.}-{2:2}, at: pty_write+0xf4/0x1f0 drivers/tty/pty.c:120 which lock already depends on the new lock. the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is: -> #2 (&port->lock){-.-.}-{2:2}: __raw_spin_lock_irqsave include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:110 [inline] _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x35/0x50 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:159 tty_port_tty_get drivers/tty/tty_port.c:288 [inline] <-- lock(&port->lock); tty_port_default_wakeup+0x1d/0xb0 drivers/tty/tty_port.c:47 serial8250_tx_chars+0x530/0xa80 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1767 serial8250_handle_irq.part.0+0x31f/0x3d0 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1854 serial8250_handle_irq drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1827 [inline] <-- lock(&port_lock_key); serial8250_default_handle_irq+0xb2/0x220 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:1870 serial8250_interrupt+0xfd/0x200 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_core.c:126 __handle_irq_event_percpu+0x109/0xa50 kernel/irq/handle.c:156 [...] -> #1 (&port_lock_key){-.-.}-{2:2}: __raw_spin_lock_irqsave include/linux/spinlock_api_smp.h:110 [inline] _raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x35/0x50 kernel/locking/spinlock.c:159 serial8250_console_write+0x184/0xa40 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_port.c:3198 <-- lock(&port_lock_key); call_console_drivers kernel/printk/printk.c:1819 [inline] console_unlock+0x8cb/0xd00 kernel/printk/printk.c:2504 vprintk_emit+0x1b5/0x470 kernel/printk/printk.c:2024 <-- lock(console_owner); vprintk_func+0x8d/0x250 kernel/printk/printk_safe.c:394 printk+0xba/0xed kernel/printk/printk.c:2084 register_console+0x8b3/0xc10 kernel/printk/printk.c:2829 univ8250_console_init+0x3a/0x46 drivers/tty/serial/8250/8250_core.c:681 console_init+0x49d/0x6d3 kernel/printk/printk.c:2915 start_kernel+0x5e9/0x879 init/main.c:713 secondary_startup_64+0xa4/0xb0 arch/x86/kernel/head_64.S:241 -> #0 (console_owner){....}-{0:0}: [...] lock_acquire+0x127/0x340 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:4734 console_trylock_spinning kernel/printk/printk.c:1773 ---truncated---

Vendor linux
Product linux
Ecosystems
Industries
Technology
Published Feb 26, 2025
Last Updated May 11, 2026
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Affected Versions

Linux / Linux
d83904cb2eb2c4d937eaf15032214b0578f25099 < 4af21b12a60ed2d3642284f4f85b42d7dc6ac246 deb1feaad03a78b545c949e54582ae57b3c56982 < 4c253caf9264d2aa47ee806a87986dd8eb91a5d9 b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff < 04ee31678c128a6cc7bb057ea189a8624ba5a314 b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff < 3219ac364ac3d8d30771612a6010f1e0b7fa0a28 b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff < 9834b13e8b962caa28fbcf1f422dd82413da4ede b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff < 18ca0d55e8639b911df8aae1b47598b13f9acded b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff < b3c974501d0c32258ae0e04e5cc3fb92383b40f6 b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff < 0bcf44903ef4df742dcada86ccaedd25374ffb50 b6da31b2c07c46f2dcad1d86caa835227a16d9ff < 6b9dbedbe3499fef862c4dff5217cf91f34e43b3 6d9cd12792270773fab9e5a129daff328d61ef9e 6dbfa9b5ae65063cd61dc7fa11332e00bb794d8b 60c4e8db32815474bfaeabe888ebb14e698caea1
Linux / Linux
4.18

References

NVD โ†— CVE.org โ†— EPSS Data โ†—
git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4af21b12a60ed2d3642284f4f85b42d7dc6ac246 git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/4c253caf9264d2aa47ee806a87986dd8eb91a5d9 git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/04ee31678c128a6cc7bb057ea189a8624ba5a314 git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/3219ac364ac3d8d30771612a6010f1e0b7fa0a28 git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/9834b13e8b962caa28fbcf1f422dd82413da4ede git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/18ca0d55e8639b911df8aae1b47598b13f9acded git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b3c974501d0c32258ae0e04e5cc3fb92383b40f6 git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/0bcf44903ef4df742dcada86ccaedd25374ffb50 git.kernel.org: https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6b9dbedbe3499fef862c4dff5217cf91f34e43b3