linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] Fix open/close race in saa7134

lists.openwall.net		lists / announce owl-users owl-dev john-users john-dev passwdqc-users yescrypt popa3d-users / oss-security kernel-hardening musl sabotage tlsify passwords / crypt-dev xvendor / Bugtraq Full-Disclosure linux-kernel linux-netdev linux-ext4 linux-hardening linux-cve-announce PHC
Open Source and information security mailing list archives

Hash Suite: Windows password security audit tool. GUI, reports in PDF.

[<prev] [next>] [<thread-prev] [thread-next>] [day] [month] [year] [list]

Message-ID: <20080623115432.5ce376e5@infradead.org>
Date:	Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:54:32 -0700
From:	Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...radead.org>
To:	Marcin Slusarz <marcin.slusarz@...il.com>
Cc:	mchehab@...radead.org, linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org,
	Al Viro <viro@....linux.org.uk>
Subject: Re: [PATCH] Fix open/close race in saa7134

On Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:49:42 +0200
Marcin Slusarz <marcin.slusarz@...il.com> wrote:

> On Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 10:58:32AM -0700, Arjan van de Ven wrote:
> > On Sun, 22 Jun 2008 19:33:37 +0200
> > Marcin Slusarz <marcin.slusarz@...il.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > On Sun, Jun 22, 2008 at 10:05:07AM -0700, Arjan van de Ven wrote:
> > > > 
> > > > From: Arjan van de Ven <arjan@...ux.intel.com>
> > > > Date: Sun, 22 Jun 2008 10:03:02 -0700
> > > > Subject: [PATCH] Fix open/close race in saa7134
> > > > 
> > > > The saa7134 driver uses a (non-atomic) variable in an attempt to
> > > > only allow one opener of the device (how it deals with sending
> > > > the fd over unix sockets I don't know).
> > > > 
> > > > Unfortunately, the release function first decrements this
> > > > variable, and THEN goes on to disable more of the device. This
> > > > allows for a race where another opener of the device comes in
> > > > after the decrement of the variable, configures the hardware
> > > > just to then see the hardware be disabled by the rest of the
> > > > release function.
> > > 
> > > Simplier fix:
> > > http://lkml.org/lkml/2008/6/9/308
> > > But I don't remember whether it was applied or not...
> > 
> > 
> > the patch might be simpler, but it's not fully correct...
> > the decrement is non-atomic and not protected by any lock
> > whatsoever.
> 
> It's not atomic, but it don't have to, because there's only one
> thread which "owns" the device.

this is not correct!

this is a close->open race, not an open->close!
which means the guy who's closing it and the guy who's then opening it
again do not have to be the same guy

-- 
If you want to reach me at my work email, use arjan@...ux.intel.com
For development, discussion and tips for power savings, 
visit http://www.lesswatts.org
--
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@...r.kernel.org
More majordomo info at  http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html
Please read the FAQ at  http://www.tux.org/lkml/