* [PATCH] keys: Avoid owner account dereferences in /proc/keys
@ 2026-10-17 8:16 Cen Zhang
2026-10-17 8:18 ` sashiko-bot
0 siblings, 1 reply; 2+ messages in thread
From: Cen Zhang @ 2026-10-17 8:16 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: dhowells, jarkko, paul, jmorris, serge
Cc: keyrings, linux-security-module, linux-kernel, ebiggers,
baijiaju1990, jjzuming, zzzccc427
The namespace filters in find_ge_key() and key_serial_next() read
key->user->uid while traversing the serial tree under key_serial_lock.
That lock keeps the key allocated, but it does not protect the separate
key_user from ownership changes.
A /proc/keys read reaches find_ge_key() through proc_keys_start(), and
key_serial_next() through proc_keys_next(). The lock stays held until
proc_keys_stop().
A successful privileged KEYCTL_CHOWN on the same key replaces key->user
under key->sem and drops the old owner's reference after releasing the
semaphore. If that was the old dynamic key_user's last reference, a
/proc/keys reader can access freed memory:
/proc/keys reader KEYCTL_CHOWN
proc_keys_start() keyctl_chown_key()
spin_lock(key_serial_lock) down_write(key->sem)
find_ge_key()
old = minkey->user
zapowner = key->user
key->user = newowner
key->uid = uid
up_write(key->sem)
key_put(key)
key_user_put(zapowner)
kfree(zapowner)
read old->uid -> use-after-free
proc_keys_stop()
spin_unlock(key_serial_lock)
Use the inline key->uid in both filters, following the approach already
used by find_keyring_by_name(). The serial-tree lock keeps the containing
key alive, so filtering no longer depends on the quota owner's lifetime.
This also uses the same owner UID as proc_keys_show() and the permission
check.
For thread keyrings, key_fsuid_changed() can update key->uid without
changing the quota owner. The filters now follow that current owner UID,
including when its namespace mapping differs from the quota owner's.
Fixes: 454804ab0302 ("keys: make procfiles per-user-namespace")
Suggested-by: Eric Biggers <ebiggers@kernel.org>
Assisted-by: LLM
Signed-off-by: Cen Zhang <zzzccc427@gmail.com>
---
security/keys/proc.c | 4 ++--
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/security/keys/proc.c b/security/keys/proc.c
index 4f4e2c1824f1..aea06a74d0fe 100644
--- a/security/keys/proc.c
+++ b/security/keys/proc.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static struct rb_node *key_serial_next(struct seq_file *p, struct rb_node *n)
n = rb_next(n);
while (n) {
struct key *key = rb_entry(n, struct key, serial_node);
- if (kuid_has_mapping(user_ns, key->user->uid))
+ if (kuid_has_mapping(user_ns, key->uid))
break;
n = rb_next(n);
}
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ static struct key *find_ge_key(struct seq_file *p, key_serial_t id)
return NULL;
for (;;) {
- if (kuid_has_mapping(user_ns, minkey->user->uid))
+ if (kuid_has_mapping(user_ns, minkey->uid))
return minkey;
n = rb_next(&minkey->serial_node);
if (!n)
base-commit: a626e44fd64c456d373ae8c28b939197b9446a02
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 2+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH] keys: Avoid owner account dereferences in /proc/keys
2026-10-17 8:16 [PATCH] keys: Avoid owner account dereferences in /proc/keys Cen Zhang
@ 2026-10-17 8:18 ` sashiko-bot
0 siblings, 0 replies; 2+ messages in thread
From: sashiko-bot @ 2026-10-17 8:18 UTC (permalink / raw)
Cc: linux-security-module
> The namespace filters in find_ge_key() and key_serial_next() read
> key->user->uid while traversing the serial tree under key_serial_lock.
> That lock keeps the key allocated, but it does not protect the separate
> key_user from ownership changes.
>
> A /proc/keys read reaches find_ge_key() through proc_keys_start(), and
> key_serial_next() through proc_keys_next(). The lock stays held until
> proc_keys_stop().
>
> A successful privileged KEYCTL_CHOWN on the same key replaces key->user
> under key->sem and drops the old owner's reference after releasing the
> semaphore. If that was the old dynamic key_user's last reference, a
> /proc/keys reader can access freed memory:
>
> /proc/keys reader KEYCTL_CHOWN
> [ ... ]
>
> Fixes: 454804ab0302 ("keys: make procfiles per-user-namespace")
> Suggested-by: Eric Biggers <ebiggers@kernel.org>
> Assisted-by: LLM
> Signed-off-by: Cen Zhang <zzzccc427@gmail.com>
Sashiko has reviewed this patch and found no issues.
--
Sashiko AI review · https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/pm-keys-proc-owner-uid-followup-20261017-v2-8f8f34a41eb1bbb94ef0@gmail.com?part=1
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2026-10-17 8:16 [PATCH] keys: Avoid owner account dereferences in /proc/keys Cen Zhang
2026-10-17 8:18 ` sashiko-bot
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