ghsa-fr6m-vhh9-9qj8
Vulnerability from github
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
Revert "riscv: Define TASK_SIZE_MAX for __access_ok()"
This reverts commit ad5643cf2f69 ("riscv: Define TASK_SIZE_MAX for __access_ok()").
This commit changes TASK_SIZE_MAX to be LONG_MAX to optimize access_ok(), because the previous TASK_SIZE_MAX (default to TASK_SIZE) requires some computation.
The reasoning was that all user addresses are less than LONG_MAX, and all kernel addresses are greater than LONG_MAX. Therefore access_ok() can filter kernel addresses.
Addresses between TASK_SIZE and LONG_MAX are not valid user addresses, but access_ok() let them pass. That was thought to be okay, because they are not valid addresses at hardware level.
Unfortunately, one case is missed: get_user_pages_fast() happily accepts addresses between TASK_SIZE and LONG_MAX. futex(), for instance, uses get_user_pages_fast(). This causes the problem reported by Robert [1].
Therefore, revert this commit. TASK_SIZE_MAX is changed to the default: TASK_SIZE.
This unfortunately reduces performance, because TASK_SIZE is more expensive to compute compared to LONG_MAX. But correctness first, we can think about optimization later, if required.
{
"affected": [],
"aliases": [
"CVE-2025-38434"
],
"database_specific": {
"cwe_ids": [],
"github_reviewed": false,
"github_reviewed_at": null,
"nvd_published_at": "2025-07-25T15:15:28Z",
"severity": null
},
"details": "In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:\n\nRevert \"riscv: Define TASK_SIZE_MAX for __access_ok()\"\n\nThis reverts commit ad5643cf2f69 (\"riscv: Define TASK_SIZE_MAX for\n__access_ok()\").\n\nThis commit changes TASK_SIZE_MAX to be LONG_MAX to optimize access_ok(),\nbecause the previous TASK_SIZE_MAX (default to TASK_SIZE) requires some\ncomputation.\n\nThe reasoning was that all user addresses are less than LONG_MAX, and all\nkernel addresses are greater than LONG_MAX. Therefore access_ok() can\nfilter kernel addresses.\n\nAddresses between TASK_SIZE and LONG_MAX are not valid user addresses, but\naccess_ok() let them pass. That was thought to be okay, because they are\nnot valid addresses at hardware level.\n\nUnfortunately, one case is missed: get_user_pages_fast() happily accepts\naddresses between TASK_SIZE and LONG_MAX. futex(), for instance, uses\nget_user_pages_fast(). This causes the problem reported by Robert [1].\n\nTherefore, revert this commit. TASK_SIZE_MAX is changed to the default:\nTASK_SIZE.\n\nThis unfortunately reduces performance, because TASK_SIZE is more expensive\nto compute compared to LONG_MAX. But correctness first, we can think about\noptimization later, if required.",
"id": "GHSA-fr6m-vhh9-9qj8",
"modified": "2025-07-25T15:30:54Z",
"published": "2025-07-25T15:30:54Z",
"references": [
{
"type": "ADVISORY",
"url": "https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38434"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/890ba5be6335dbbbc99af14ea007befb5f83f174"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f8b1898748dfeb4f9b67b6a6d661f354b9de3523"
},
{
"type": "WEB",
"url": "https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/fe30c30bf3bb68d4a4d8c7c814769857b5c973e6"
}
],
"schema_version": "1.4.0",
"severity": []
}
Sightings
| Author | Source | Type | Date |
|---|
Nomenclature
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- Not patched: This vulnerability was not successfully patched by the user reporting the sighting.