Ftrace Handling Issue in Linux Kernel Affects Arm64 Architecture

CVE-2022-49721

Summary

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel's ftrace subsystem on the arm64 architecture may lead to errors when modifying function call sites that require Procedure Linkage Table (PLT) entries. This inconsistency can cause internal ftrace failures, resulting in kernel panics in certain scenarios. Specifically, using ftrace_modify_call() improperly may trigger out-of-range address errors leading to warnings and potential crashes. The issue has been addressed by ensuring a consistent determination of whether a PLT entry is necessary for a given address, improving the robustness of the ftrace mechanism.

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