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CVE-2026-12631

Full vulnerability record from the local CVENow database.

Description

The Zephyr kernel validates the k_thread_join() and k_thread_abort() system calls (declared __syscall in include/zephyr/kernel.h) through thread_obj_validate() in kernel/thread.c. Its default switch branch is the access-denied path, taken when k_object_validate() returns -EPERM (the calling user thread was never granted access to the target thread object) or -EBADF (the supplied pointer is not a registered kernel object of the right type). That branch invoked K_OOPS(K_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG(ret, "access denied")), but K_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG treats a true expression as success; the non-zero error code ret therefore read as "verified OK", the kernel oops was never raised, and control fell through to CODE_UNREACHABLE. Because k_thread_join() and k_thread_abort() are system calls, an unprivileged user-mode thread (under CONFIG_USERSPACE) can reach this denial path directly by calling either syscall on a thread object it does not own. Instead of the offending thread being cleanly terminated, execution reaches __builtin_unreachable() while running in supervisor mode inside the syscall handler. On Clang builds CODE_UNREACHABLE emits an illegal-instruction trap, so a user thread can deterministically crash the kernel — a locally triggerable denial of service that escapes the userspace sandbox. On GCC builds the path is undefined behavior: the compiler may drop the return-value handling for thread_obj_validate(), so it can return an undefined bool; if that is false, the caller proceeds into the real k_thread_join()/k_thread_abort() implementation for a thread the user was never authorized to access, an access-control bypass. The fix changes the verification expression to ret == 0, so a denied (non-zero) result now correctly raises K_OOPS and terminates the offending caller.

Severity
MEDIUM
CVSS score
6.5 (v3.1)
Vulnerability status
Awaiting Analysis
Source identifier
Published
2026-08-18 21:16:33.647000
Last modified
2026-10-22 22:10:00.250000
View original CVE JSON
{
  "id": "CVE-2026-12631",
  "sourceIdentifier": "[email protected]",
  "published": "2026-08-18T21:16:33.647",
  "lastModified": "2026-10-22T22:10:00.250",
  "vulnStatus": "Awaiting Analysis",
  "cveTags": [],
  "descriptions": [
    {
      "lang": "en",
      "value": "The Zephyr kernel validates the k_thread_join() and k_thread_abort() system calls (declared __syscall in include/zephyr/kernel.h) through thread_obj_validate() in kernel/thread.c. Its default switch branch is the access-denied path, taken when k_object_validate() returns -EPERM (the calling user thread was never granted access to the target thread object) or -EBADF (the supplied pointer is not a registered kernel object of the right type). That branch invoked K_OOPS(K_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG(ret, \"access denied\")), but K_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG treats a true expression as success; the non-zero error code ret therefore read as \"verified OK\", the kernel oops was never raised, and control fell through to CODE_UNREACHABLE.\n\nBecause k_thread_join() and k_thread_abort() are system calls, an unprivileged user-mode thread (under CONFIG_USERSPACE) can reach this denial path directly by calling either syscall on a thread object it does not own. Instead of the offending thread being cleanly terminated, execution reaches __builtin_unreachable() while running in supervisor mode inside the syscall handler.\n\nOn Clang builds CODE_UNREACHABLE emits an illegal-instruction trap, so a user thread can deterministically crash the kernel — a locally triggerable denial of service that escapes the userspace sandbox. On GCC builds the path is undefined behavior: the compiler may drop the return-value handling for thread_obj_validate(), so it can return an undefined bool; if that is false, the caller proceeds into the real k_thread_join()/k_thread_abort() implementation for a thread the user was never authorized to access, an access-control bypass.\n\nThe fix changes the verification expression to ret == 0, so a denied (non-zero) result now correctly raises K_OOPS and terminates the offending caller."
    },
    {
      "lang": "es",
      "value": "El kernel Zephyr valida las llamadas al sistema k_thread_join() y k_thread_abort() (declaradas __syscall en include/zephyr/kernel.h) a través de thread_obj_validate() en kernel/thread.c. Su rama switch predeterminada es la ruta de acceso denegado, tomada cuando k_object_validate() devuelve -EPERM (el hilo de usuario llamante nunca tuvo acceso concedido al objeto de hilo objetivo) o -EBADF (el puntero suministrado no es un objeto kernel registrado del tipo correcto). Esa rama invocó K_OOPS(K_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG(ret, ’access denied’)), pero K_SYSCALL_VERIFY_MSG trata una expresión verdadera como éxito; el código de error no nulo ret, por lo tanto, se leyó como ’verified OK’, el oops del kernel nunca se generó, y el control pasó a CODE_UNREACHABLE.\n\nDebido a que k_thread_join() y k_thread_abort() son llamadas al sistema, un hilo en modo usuario sin privilegios (bajo CONFIG_USERSPACE) puede alcanzar esta ruta de denegación directamente llamando a cualquiera de las syscall en un objeto de hilo que no posee. En lugar de que el hilo infractor sea terminado limpiamente, la ejecución alcanza __builtin_unreachable() mientras se ejecuta en modo supervisor dentro del gestor de syscall.\n\nEn compilaciones de Clang, CODE_UNREACHABLE emite una trampa de instrucción ilegal, por lo que un hilo de usuario puede bloquear el kernel de forma determinista - una denegación de servicio activable localmente que escapa al sandbox del espacio de usuario. En compilaciones de GCC, la ruta es un comportamiento indefinido: el compilador puede omitir el manejo del valor de retorno para thread_obj_validate(), por lo que puede devolver un booleano indefinido; si eso es falso, el llamante procede a la implementación real de k_thread_join()/k_thread_abort() para un hilo al que el usuario nunca fue autorizado a acceder, una omisión de control de acceso.\n\nLa solución cambia la expresión de verificación a ret == 0, por lo que un resultado denegado (no nulo) ahora genera correctamente K_OOPS y termina al llamante infractor."
    }
  ],
  "affected": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "affectedData": [
        {
          "vendor": "zephyrproject",
          "product": "zephyr",
          "defaultStatus": "unaffected",
          "collectionURL": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr",
          "packageName": "zephyr",
          "programFiles": [
            "kernel/thread.c"
          ],
          "versions": [
            {
              "version": "2.3.0",
              "lessThan": "4.4.2",
              "versionType": "semver",
              "status": "affected"
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "metrics": {
    "cvssMetricV31": [
      {
        "source": "[email protected]",
        "type": "Secondary",
        "cvssData": {
          "version": "3.1",
          "vectorString": "CVSS:3.1/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:N/I:N/A:H",
          "baseScore": 6.5,
          "baseSeverity": "MEDIUM",
          "attackVector": "LOCAL",
          "attackComplexity": "LOW",
          "privilegesRequired": "LOW",
          "userInteraction": "NONE",
          "scope": "CHANGED",
          "confidentialityImpact": "NONE",
          "integrityImpact": "NONE",
          "availabilityImpact": "HIGH"
        },
        "exploitabilityScore": 2.0,
        "impactScore": 4.0
      }
    ],
    "ssvcV203": [
      {
        "source": "134c704f-9b21-4f2e-91b3-4a467353bcc0",
        "ssvcData": {
          "timestamp": "2026-08-19T13:17:32.022813Z",
          "id": "CVE-2026-12631",
          "options": [
            {
              "exploitation": "none"
            },
            {
              "automatable": "no"
            },
            {
              "technicalImpact": "partial"
            }
          ],
          "role": "CISA Coordinator",
          "version": "2.0.3"
        }
      }
    ]
  },
  "weaknesses": [
    {
      "source": "[email protected]",
      "type": "Secondary",
      "description": [
        {
          "lang": "en",
          "value": "CWE-862"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "references": [
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/commit/bd1828652dfc217ba9f3a2221a7499cd8914ed9c",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://github.com/zephyrproject-rtos/zephyr/security/advisories/GHSA-crfw-75jw-hjm3",
      "source": "[email protected]"
    }
  ]
}