CVE-2021-47632

powerpc/set_memory: Avoid spinlock recursion in change_page_attr()

Published Feb 26, 2025 CVSS 3.1 · 5.5 Medium EPSS < 1% KEV · Not listed
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

powerpc/set_memory: Avoid spinlock recursion in change_page_attr()

Commit 1f9ad21c3b38 ("powerpc/mm: Implement set_memory() routines")
included a spin_lock() to change_page_attr() in order to
safely perform the three step operations. But then
commit 9f7853d7609d ("powerpc/mm: Fix set_memory_*() against
concurrent accesses") modify it to use pte_update() and do
the operation safely against concurrent access.

In the meantime, Maxime reported some spinlock recursion.

[ 15.351649] BUG: spinlock recursion on CPU#0, kworker/0:2/217
[ 15.357540] lock: init_mm+0x3c/0x420, .magic: dead4ead, .owner: kworker/0:2/217, .owner_cpu: 0
[ 15.366563] CPU: 0 PID: 217 Comm: kworker/0:2 Not tainted 5.15.0+ #523
[ 15.373350] Workqueue: events do_free_init
[ 15.377615] Call Trace:
[ 15.380232] [e4105ac0] [800946a4] do_raw_spin_lock+0xf8/0x120 (unreliable)
[ 15.387340] [e4105ae0] [8001f4ec] change_page_attr+0x40/0x1d4
[ 15.393413] [e4105b10] [801424e0] __apply_to_page_range+0x164/0x310
[ 15.400009] [e4105b60] [80169620] free_pcp_prepare+0x1e4/0x4a0
[ 15.406045] [e4105ba0] [8016c5a0] free_unref_page+0x40/0x2b8
[ 15.411979] [e4105be0] [8018724c] kasan_depopulate_vmalloc_pte+0x6c/0x94
[ 15.418989] [e4105c00] [801424e0] __apply_to_page_range+0x164/0x310
[ 15.425451] [e4105c50] [80187834] kasan_release_vmalloc+0xbc/0x134
[ 15.431898] [e4105c70] [8015f7a8] __purge_vmap_area_lazy+0x4e4/0xdd8
[ 15.438560] [e4105d30] [80160d10] _vm_unmap_aliases.part.0+0x17c/0x24c
[ 15.445283] [e4105d60] [801642d0] __vunmap+0x2f0/0x5c8
[ 15.450684] [e4105db0] [800e32d0] do_free_init+0x68/0x94
[ 15.456181] [e4105dd0] [8005d094] process_one_work+0x4bc/0x7b8
[ 15.462283] [e4105e90] [8005d614] worker_thread+0x284/0x6e8
[ 15.468227] [e4105f00] [8006aaec] kthread+0x1f0/0x210
[ 15.473489] [e4105f40] [80017148] ret_from_kernel_thread+0x14/0x1c

Remove the read / modify / write sequence to make the operation atomic
and remove the spin_lock() in change_page_attr().

To do the operation atomically, we can't use pte modification helpers
anymore. Because all platforms have different combination of bits, it
is not easy to use those bits directly. But all have the
_PAGE_KERNEL_{RO/ROX/RW/RWX} set of flags. All we need it to compare
two sets to know which bits are set or cleared.

For instance, by comparing _PAGE_KERNEL_ROX and _PAGE_KERNEL_RO you
know which bit gets cleared and which bit get set when changing exec
permission.

Remediation

No solution or workaround provided in the CVE record

Tracking

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Advisories

Source ID Title
EUVD EUVD EUVD-2021-34672 In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/set_memory: Avoid spinlock recursion in change_page_attr() Commit 1f9ad21c3b38 ("powerpc/mm: Implement set_memory() routines") included a spin_lock() to change_page_attr() in order to safely perform the three step operations. But then commit 9f7853d7609d ("powerpc/mm: Fix set_memory_*() against concurrent accesses") modify it to use pte_update() and do the operation safely against concurrent access. In the meantime, Maxime reported some spinlock recursion. [ 15.351649] BUG: spinlock recursion on CPU#0, kworker/0:2/217 [ 15.357540] lock: init_mm+0x3c/0x420, .magic: dead4ead, .owner: kworker/0:2/217, .owner_cpu: 0 [ 15.366563] CPU: 0 PID: 217 Comm: kworker/0:2 Not tainted 5.15.0+ #523 [ 15.373350] Workqueue: events do_free_init [ 15.377615] Call Trace: [ 15.380232] [e4105ac0] [800946a4] do_raw_spin_lock+0xf8/0x120 (unreliable) [ 15.387340] [e4105ae0] [8001f4ec] change_page_attr+0x40/0x1d4 [ 15.393413] [e4105b10] [801424e0] __apply_to_page_range+0x164/0x310 [ 15.400009] [e4105b60] [80169620] free_pcp_prepare+0x1e4/0x4a0 [ 15.406045] [e4105ba0] [8016c5a0] free_unref_page+0x40/0x2b8 [ 15.411979] [e4105be0] [8018724c] kasan_depopulate_vmalloc_pte+0x6c/0x94 [ 15.418989] [e4105c00] [801424e0] __apply_to_page_range+0x164/0x310 [ 15.425451] [e4105c50] [80187834] kasan_release_vmalloc+0xbc/0x134 [ 15.431898] [e4105c70] [8015f7a8] __purge_vmap_area_lazy+0x4e4/0xdd8 [ 15.438560] [e4105d30] [80160d10] _vm_unmap_aliases.part.0+0x17c/0x24c [ 15.445283] [e4105d60] [801642d0] __vunmap+0x2f0/0x5c8 [ 15.450684] [e4105db0] [800e32d0] do_free_init+0x68/0x94 [ 15.456181] [e4105dd0] [8005d094] process_one_work+0x4bc/0x7b8 [ 15.462283] [e4105e90] [8005d614] worker_thread+0x284/0x6e8 [ 15.468227] [e4105f00] [8006aaec] kthread+0x1f0/0x210 [ 15.473489] [e4105f40] [80017148] ret_from_kernel_thread+0x14/0x1c Remove the read / modify / write sequence to make the operation atomic and remove the spin_lock() in change_page_attr(). To do the operation atomically, we can't use pte modification helpers anymore. Because all platforms have different combination of bits, it is not easy to use those bits directly. But all have the _PAGE_KERNEL_{RO/ROX/RW/RWX} set of flags. All we need it to compare two sets to know which bits are set or cleared. For instance, by comparing _PAGE_KERNEL_ROX and _PAGE_KERNEL_RO you know which bit gets cleared and which bit get set when changing exec permission.
History
Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics ssvc

{'options': {'Automatable': 'no', 'Exploitation': 'none', 'Technical Impact': 'partial'}, 'version': '2.0.3'}

Type Values Removed Values Added
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Weaknesses CWE-667
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
Type Values Removed Values Added
References
Metrics threat_severity

None

cvssV3_1

{'score': 5.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H'}

threat_severity

Moderate

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: powerpc/set_memory: Avoid spinlock recursion in change_page_attr() Commit 1f9ad21c3b38 ("powerpc/mm: Implement set_memory() routines") included a spin_lock() to change_page_attr() in order to safely perform the three step operations. But then commit 9f7853d7609d ("powerpc/mm: Fix set_memory_*() against concurrent accesses") modify it to use pte_update() and do the operation safely against concurrent access. In the meantime, Maxime reported some spinlock recursion. [ 15.351649] BUG: spinlock recursion on CPU#0, kworker/0:2/217 [ 15.357540] lock: init_mm+0x3c/0x420, .magic: dead4ead, .owner: kworker/0:2/217, .owner_cpu: 0 [ 15.366563] CPU: 0 PID: 217 Comm: kworker/0:2 Not tainted 5.15.0+ #523 [ 15.373350] Workqueue: events do_free_init [ 15.377615] Call Trace: [ 15.380232] [e4105ac0] [800946a4] do_raw_spin_lock+0xf8/0x120 (unreliable) [ 15.387340] [e4105ae0] [8001f4ec] change_page_attr+0x40/0x1d4 [ 15.393413] [e4105b10] [801424e0] __apply_to_page_range+0x164/0x310 [ 15.400009] [e4105b60] [80169620] free_pcp_prepare+0x1e4/0x4a0 [ 15.406045] [e4105ba0] [8016c5a0] free_unref_page+0x40/0x2b8 [ 15.411979] [e4105be0] [8018724c] kasan_depopulate_vmalloc_pte+0x6c/0x94 [ 15.418989] [e4105c00] [801424e0] __apply_to_page_range+0x164/0x310 [ 15.425451] [e4105c50] [80187834] kasan_release_vmalloc+0xbc/0x134 [ 15.431898] [e4105c70] [8015f7a8] __purge_vmap_area_lazy+0x4e4/0xdd8 [ 15.438560] [e4105d30] [80160d10] _vm_unmap_aliases.part.0+0x17c/0x24c [ 15.445283] [e4105d60] [801642d0] __vunmap+0x2f0/0x5c8 [ 15.450684] [e4105db0] [800e32d0] do_free_init+0x68/0x94 [ 15.456181] [e4105dd0] [8005d094] process_one_work+0x4bc/0x7b8 [ 15.462283] [e4105e90] [8005d614] worker_thread+0x284/0x6e8 [ 15.468227] [e4105f00] [8006aaec] kthread+0x1f0/0x210 [ 15.473489] [e4105f40] [80017148] ret_from_kernel_thread+0x14/0x1c Remove the read / modify / write sequence to make the operation atomic and remove the spin_lock() in change_page_attr(). To do the operation atomically, we can't use pte modification helpers anymore. Because all platforms have different combination of bits, it is not easy to use those bits directly. But all have the _PAGE_KERNEL_{RO/ROX/RW/RWX} set of flags. All we need it to compare two sets to know which bits are set or cleared. For instance, by comparing _PAGE_KERNEL_ROX and _PAGE_KERNEL_RO you know which bit gets cleared and which bit get set when changing exec permission.
Title powerpc/set_memory: Avoid spinlock recursion in change_page_attr()
References
Weaknesses

Sources

Status
PUBLISHED
Assigner
Linux
Published
Updated
May 11, 2026, 1:58 PM
Reserved
Feb 26, 2025, 1:48 AM
Status
Modified
Published
Feb 26, 2025, 6:37 AM
Modified
Jun 17, 2026, 4:18 AM
Severity
Moderate
Public date
Feb 26, 2025, 12:00 AM