-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA256 Xen Security Advisory CVE-2020-25598 / XSA-334 version 3 Missing unlock in XENMEM_acquire_resource error path UPDATES IN VERSION 3 ==================== Public release. ISSUE DESCRIPTION ================= The RCU (Read, Copy, Update) mechanism is a synchronisation primitive. A buggy error path in the XENMEM_acquire_resource exits without releasing an RCU reference, which is conceptually similar to forgetting to unlock a spinlock. IMPACT ====== A buggy or malicious HVM stubdomain can cause an RCU reference to be leaked. This causes subsequent administration operations, (e.g. CPU offline) to livelock, resulting in a host Denial of Service. VULNERABLE SYSTEMS ================== The buggy codepath has been present since Xen 4.12. Xen 4.14 and later are vulnerable to the DoS. The side effects are believed to be benign on Xen 4.12 and 4.13, but patches are provided nevertheless. The vulnerability can generally only be exploited by x86 HVM VMs, as these are generally the only type of VM which have a Qemu stubdomain. x86 PV and PVH domains, as well as ARM VMs typically don't use a stubdomain. Only VMs using HVM stubdomains can exploit the vulnerability. VMs using PV stubdomains, or with emulators running in dom0 cannot exploit the vulnerability. MITIGATION ========== Running only x86 PV or PVH VMs will avoid the vulnerability. Reconfiguring x86 HVM guests to use a PV or no stubdom will also avoid the vulnerability. CREDITS ======= This issue was discovered by Andrew Cooper of Citrix. RESOLUTION ========== Applying the appropriate attached patch resolves this issue. Note that patches for released versions are generally prepared to apply to the stable branches, and may not apply cleanly to the most recent release tarball. Downstreams are encouraged to update to the tip of the stable branch before applying these patches. xsa334.patch Xen 4.13 - xen-unstable xsa334-4.12.patch Xen 4.12 $ sha256sum xsa334* 80e7725a56c4244d860e9aebb56710a8165f7ffeae3fb67365cbc85b3b0518b3 xsa334.meta 323cd9d24b2e95643833865a9943172c56edd25dfd170e4741034d28dfd0d4bd xsa334.patch 85341ba6322ea6279c0851493ce61e822c8560850034f5f26cbcb26be85ca102 xsa334-4.12.patch $ DEPLOYMENT DURING EMBARGO ========================= Deployment of the patches and/or mitigations described above (or others which are substantially similar) is permitted during the embargo, even on public-facing systems with untrusted guest users and administrators. But: Distribution of updated software is prohibited (except to other members of the predisclosure list). Predisclosure list members who wish to deploy significantly different patches and/or mitigations, please contact the Xen Project Security Team. (Note: this during-embargo deployment notice is retained in post-embargo publicly released Xen Project advisories, even though it is then no longer applicable. This is to enable the community to have oversight of the Xen Project Security Team's decisionmaking.) For more information about permissible uses of embargoed information, consult the Xen Project community's agreed Security Policy: http://www.xenproject.org/security-policy.html -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- iQFABAEBCAAqFiEEI+MiLBRfRHX6gGCng/4UyVfoK9kFAl9p/eYMHHBncEB4ZW4u b3JnAAoJEIP+FMlX6CvZV94H/jhwML6zObPz+zvjbwwAUoHsYiQ66CSUlxluqjN5 PXWpm56RzArptGIUakQyXKNI2Ht2fUn3Lu3w9JllujJRfmhbhiJJvI9Ar2QzOcri +XylcK9rRspfmNUgXB629BTEcGUuo9/J+T+O4T544zfWUBncixyDq9/Q9SGAdz9c kDZkL6UebpIFLtD6jrgYd4XAK9b1c6T7SmsGzq26m/zwGqJ1jol58kHl5GMXe7uX rd9xZbERKIhaABbTQ10zY5IDIE4oplibSLOiJVSTz6KSyzD9by+M7oszqeIbIiRV rY49lettdD4jfmzp5bbXQnf+9T31rG3AEHWaiOGdVcRFoq8= =a23E -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----