In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
smack: fix incorrect task context in smack_msg_queue_msgrcv
The smack_msg_queue_msgrcv() function incorrectly checks the permissions of the 'current' task instead of the 'target' task.
In the msgsnd() syscall path, if a receiver is already waiting, the pipelined_send() optimization is used to push the message directly to the receiver task:
ipc/msg.c`pipelined_send():
` smp_store_release(&msr->r_msg, msg)
In this case, the 'sender' (current) task performs the check on behalf of the 'receiver' task (msr->r_tsk, passed as the 'target' parameter):
ipc/msg.cpipelined_send(): security_msg_queue_msgrcv(,, target := msr->r_tsk,,)
However, smack_msg_queue_msgrcv() ignores the 'target' and checks 'current':
smack_msg_queue_msgrcv(…) ` smk_curacc_msq(isp, MAY_READWRITE); // current task
'current' MAY satisfy smack_msg_queue_msgrcv r/w requirement, but 'target' (the receiver task) might NOT; as a result, an unauthorized receiver gets the message, violating MAC policy.
Test:
This patch fixes the issue by checking permission on the 'target' task instead of 'current'.
(2008-02-04, Casey Schaufler)