🇰🇷 한글 설명
Linux 커널의 메모리 관리(mm) 구성 요소에서 throttle_direct_reclaim() 함수가 무한 루프에 빠지는 취약점입니다. 특정 메모리 존(zone)의 가용 페이지가 충분함에도 불구하고, 시스템이 해당 존을 회수 불가능한 상태로 잘못 판단하여 노드 균형 로직이 오작동하고 커널이 중단될 수 있습니다.
💡 쉬운 설명
컴퓨터의 메모리가 부족할 때 이를 정리하는 과정에서 계산 오류가 발생하여 시스템이 멈추는 문제입니다. 메모리가 남아있음에도 불구하고 시스템이 이를 인식하지 못해 무한 반복 작업에 빠지게 됩니다.
🇺🇸 원문 (English)
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
mm: vmscan: account for free pages to prevent infinite Loop in throttle_direct_reclaim()
The task sometimes continues looping in throttle_direct_reclaim() because
allow_direct_reclaim(pgdat) keeps returning false.
#0 [ffff80002cb6f8d0] __switch_to at ffff8000080095ac
#1 [ffff80002cb6f900] __schedule at ffff800008abbd1c
#2 [ffff80002cb6f990] schedule at ffff800008abc50c
#3 [ffff80002cb6f9b0] throttle_direct_reclaim at ffff800008273550
#4 [ffff80002cb6fa20] try_to_free_pages at ffff800008277b68
#5 [ffff80002cb6fae0] __alloc_pages_nodemask at ffff8000082c4660
#6 [ffff80002cb6fc50] alloc_pages_vma at ffff8000082e4a98
#7 [ffff80002cb6fca0] do_anonymous_page at ffff80000829f5a8
#8 [ffff80002cb6fce0] __handle_mm_fault at ffff8000082a5974
#9 [ffff80002cb6fd90] handle_mm_fault at ffff8000082a5bd4
At this point, the pgdat contains the following two zones:
NODE: 4 ZONE: 0 ADDR: ffff00817fffe540 NAME: "DMA32"
SIZE: 20480 MIN/LOW/HIGH: 11/28/45
VM_STAT:
NR_FREE_PAGES: 359
NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_ANON: 18813
NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_ANON: 0
NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_FILE: 50
NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_FILE: 0
NR_ZONE_UNEVICTABLE: 0
NR_ZONE_WRITE_PENDING: 0
NR_MLOCK: 0
NR_BOUNCE: 0
NR_ZSPAGES: 0
NR_FREE_CMA_PAGES: 0
NODE: 4 ZONE: 1 ADDR: ffff00817fffec00 NAME: "Normal"
SIZE: 8454144 PRESENT: 98304 MIN/LOW/HIGH: 68/166/264
VM_STAT:
NR_FREE_PAGES: 146
NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_ANON: 94668
NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_ANON: 3
NR_ZONE_INACTIVE_FILE: 735
NR_ZONE_ACTIVE_FILE: 78
NR_ZONE_UNEVICTABLE: 0
NR_ZONE_WRITE_PENDING: 0
NR_MLOCK: 0
NR_BOUNCE: 0
NR_ZSPAGES: 0
NR_FREE_CMA_PAGES: 0
In allow_direct_reclaim(), while processing ZONE_DMA32, the sum of
inactive/active file-backed pages calculated in zone_reclaimable_pages()
based on the result of zone_page_state_snapshot() is zero.
Additionally, since this system lacks swap, the calculation of inactive/
active anonymous pages is skipped.
crash> p nr_swap_pages
nr_swap_pages = $1937 = {
counter = 0
}
As a result, ZONE_DMA32 is deemed unreclaimable and skipped, moving on to
the processing of the next zone, ZONE_NORMAL, despite ZONE_DMA32 having
free pages significantly exceeding the high watermark.
The problem is that the pgdat->kswapd_failures hasn't been incremented.
crash> px ((struct pglist_data *) 0xffff00817fffe540)->kswapd_failures
$1935 = 0x0
This is because the node deemed balanced. The node balancing logic in
balance_pgdat() evaluates all zones collectively. If one or more zones
(e.g., ZONE_DMA32) have enough free pages to meet their watermarks, the
entire node is deemed balanced. This causes balance_pgdat() to exit early
before incrementing the kswapd_failures, as it considers the overall
memory state acceptable, even though some zones (like ZONE_NORMAL) remain
under significant pressure.
The patch ensures that zone_reclaimable_pages() includes free pages
(NR_FREE_PAGES) in its calculation when no other reclaimable pages are
available (e.g., file-backed or anonymous pages). This change prevents
zones like ZONE_DMA32, which have sufficient free pages, from being
mistakenly deemed unreclaimable. By doing so, the patch ensures proper
node balancing, avoids masking pressure on other zones like ZONE_NORMAL,
and prevents infinite loops in throttle_direct_reclaim() caused by
allow_direct_reclaim(pgdat) repeatedly returning false.
The kernel hangs due to a task stuck in throttle_direct_reclaim(), caused
by a node being incorrectly deemed balanced despite pressure in certain
zones, such as ZONE_NORMAL. This issue arises from
zone_reclaimable_pages
---truncated---
📍 영향받는 시스템
Linux Kernel (mm: vmscan 관련 모듈 포함 버전)
⚔️ 공격 벡터
특정 메모리 압박 상황을 유도하여 커널의 메모리 회수 로직을 트리거함으로써 시스템 중단(DoS) 유발
🛡️ 대응 방법
Linux 커널을 최신 보안 패치가 적용된 버전으로 업데이트하여 zone_reclaimable_pages() 계산 로직 수정
🔧 검증 코드
현재 실행 중인 커널 버전을 확인하여 해당 취약점이 해결된 패치 버전인지 확인합니다.