From: Pavitra Jha <jhapavitra98@gmail.com>
To: antonio@openvpn.net
Cc: sd@queasysnail.net, andrew+netdev@lunn.ch, davem@davemloft.net,
edumazet@google.com, kuba@kernel.org, pabeni@redhat.com,
netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
stable@vger.kernel.org, Pavitra Jha <jhapavitra98@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v3] ovpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths
Date: Sat, 23 May 2026 05:02:43 -0400 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260523090244.504790-1-jhapavitra98@gmail.com> (raw)
When either the TCP RX or TX error path calls ovpn_peer_hold() followed
by schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work), and the work item is already
pending from the other path, schedule_work() returns false and the work
runs only once. Since ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work() calls ovpn_peer_put()
exactly once, the extra reference taken by the losing path is never
dropped, leaking the peer object.
The race window:
CPU0 (strparser/RX error): CPU1 (tcp_tx_work/TX error):
ovpn_peer_hold() <- refcnt+1 ovpn_peer_hold() <- refcnt+2
schedule_work() <- queued schedule_work() <- NO-OP
(work already pending)
ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work runs:
ovpn_peer_del()
ovpn_peer_put() <- refcnt+1
<- peer never freed
Fix by checking the return value of schedule_work() in both paths and
calling ovpn_peer_put() to drop the extra reference if the work was
already pending. ovpn_peer_hold() is kept unconditional in the TX path
as it cannot fail at that point.
Fixes: a6a5e87b3ee4 ("ovpn: avoid sleep in atomic context in TCP RX error path")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Pavitra Jha <jhapavitra98@gmail.com>
---
Changes since v2:
- Include RX path fix in the diff (was missing from v2)
- Link: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20260522091718.270956-1-jhapavitra98@gmail.com/
Changes since v1:
- TX path: keep ovpn_peer_hold() unconditional per Antonio Quartulli's
review; only check schedule_work() return value
- Link: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20260521083739.65061-1-jhapavitra98@gmail.com/
---
drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c | 6 ++++--
1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c b/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c
index 5499c1572..2c7d830e7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c
@@ -151,7 +151,8 @@ static void ovpn_tcp_rcv(struct strparser *strp, struct sk_buff *skb)
/* take reference for deferred peer deletion. should never fail */
if (WARN_ON(!ovpn_peer_hold(peer)))
goto err_nopeer;
- schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work);
+ if (!schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work))
+ ovpn_peer_put(peer);
dev_dstats_rx_dropped(peer->ovpn->dev);
err_nopeer:
kfree_skb(skb);
@@ -283,7 +284,8 @@ static void ovpn_tcp_send_sock(struct ovpn_peer *peer, struct sock *sk)
* stream therefore we abort the connection
*/
ovpn_peer_hold(peer);
- schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work);
+ if (!schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work))
+ ovpn_peer_put(peer);
/* we bail out immediately and keep tx_in_progress set
* to true. This way we prevent more TX attempts
--
2.53.0
next reply other threads:[~2026-05-23 9:03 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 3+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-05-23 9:02 Pavitra Jha [this message]
2026-05-27 16:21 ` [PATCH v3] ovpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths Sabrina Dubroca
2026-05-28 14:31 ` Antonio Quartulli
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