Linux Kernel Vulnerability Related to NEXT_BUDDY Handling

CVE-2024-49573

Summary

A vulnerability in the Linux kernel was identified that affects the scheduling of process entity handling due to an improper configuration of the NEXT_BUDDY algorithm. When enabled, this setting can lead to warnings triggered in the pick_next_entity() function, resulting from delayed dequeue bits affecting process scheduling. The issue has been addressed by repositioning the clear_buddies() function earlier to prevent any next buddy from becoming delayed and ensuring that no new next buddy can start in a delayed state.

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