From: Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>
To: linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org,
Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>
Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
Alexander Viro <viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk>,
Jens Axboe <axboe@kernel.dk>, Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz>,
Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>, Jann Horn <jannh@google.com>,
Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>
Subject: [PATCH RFC v2 18/23] fs: add umh argument to struct kernel_clone_args
Date: Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:30:21 +0100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260306-work-kthread-nullfs-v2-18-ad1b4bed7d3e@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260306-work-kthread-nullfs-v2-0-ad1b4bed7d3e@kernel.org>
Add a umh field to struct kernel_clone_args. When set, copy_fs() copies
from pid 1's fs_struct instead of the kthread's fs_struct. This ensures
usermodehelper threads always get init's filesystem state regardless of
their parent's (kthreadd's) fs.
Usermodehelper threads are not allowed to create mount namespaces
(CLONE_NEWNS), share filesystem state (CLONE_FS), or be started from
a non-initial mount namespace. No usermodehelper currently does this so
we don't need to worry about this restriction.
Set .umh = 1 in user_mode_thread(). At this stage pid 1's fs points to
rootfs which is the same as kthreadd's fs, so this is functionally
equivalent.
Signed-off-by: Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>
---
include/linux/sched/task.h | 1 +
kernel/fork.c | 23 ++++++++++++++++++++---
2 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)
diff --git a/include/linux/sched/task.h b/include/linux/sched/task.h
index 41ed884cffc9..e0c1ca8c6a18 100644
--- a/include/linux/sched/task.h
+++ b/include/linux/sched/task.h
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ struct kernel_clone_args {
u32 io_thread:1;
u32 user_worker:1;
u32 no_files:1;
+ u32 umh:1;
unsigned long stack;
unsigned long stack_size;
unsigned long tls;
diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
index 73f4ed82f656..c740fe2ad1ef 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -1590,9 +1590,25 @@ static int copy_mm(u64 clone_flags, struct task_struct *tsk)
return 0;
}
-static int copy_fs(u64 clone_flags, struct task_struct *tsk)
+static int copy_fs(u64 clone_flags, struct task_struct *tsk, bool umh)
{
- struct fs_struct *fs = current->fs;
+ struct fs_struct *fs;
+
+ /*
+ * Usermodehelper may use userspace_init_fs filesystem state but
+ * they don't get to create mount namespaces, share the
+ * filesystem state, or be started from a non-initial mount
+ * namespace.
+ */
+ if (umh) {
+ if (clone_flags & (CLONE_NEWNS | CLONE_FS))
+ return -EINVAL;
+ if (current->nsproxy->mnt_ns != &init_mnt_ns)
+ return -EINVAL;
+ fs = userspace_init_fs;
+ } else {
+ fs = current->fs;
+ }
VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(current->fs != current->real_fs);
if (clone_flags & CLONE_FS) {
@@ -2213,7 +2229,7 @@ __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
retval = copy_files(clone_flags, p, args->no_files);
if (retval)
goto bad_fork_cleanup_semundo;
- retval = copy_fs(clone_flags, p);
+ retval = copy_fs(clone_flags, p, args->umh);
if (retval)
goto bad_fork_cleanup_files;
retval = copy_sighand(clone_flags, p);
@@ -2727,6 +2743,7 @@ pid_t user_mode_thread(int (*fn)(void *), void *arg, unsigned long flags)
.exit_signal = (flags & CSIGNAL),
.fn = fn,
.fn_arg = arg,
+ .umh = 1,
};
return kernel_clone(&args);
--
2.47.3
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-03-05 23:31 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 40+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-03-05 23:30 [PATCH RFC v2 00/23] fs,kthread: start all kthreads in nullfs Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 01/23] fs: notice when init abandons fs sharing Christian Brauner
2026-03-10 16:03 ` Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 02/23] fs: add scoped_with_init_fs() Christian Brauner
2026-03-09 15:19 ` Jann Horn
2026-03-10 11:30 ` Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 03/23] rnbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for block device open Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 04/23] crypto: ccp: use scoped_with_init_fs() for SEV file access Christian Brauner
2026-03-09 15:37 ` Jann Horn
2026-03-10 11:33 ` Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 05/23] scsi: target: use scoped_with_init_fs() for ALUA metadata Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 06/23] scsi: target: use scoped_with_init_fs() for APTPL metadata Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 07/23] btrfs: use scoped_with_init_fs() for update_dev_time() Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 08/23] coredump: use scoped_with_init_fs() for coredump path resolution Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 09/23] fs: use scoped_with_init_fs() for kernel_read_file_from_path_initns() Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 10/23] ksmbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for share path resolution Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 11/23] ksmbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for filesystem info path lookup Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 12/23] ksmbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for VFS path operations Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 13/23] initramfs: use scoped_with_init_fs() for rootfs unpacking Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 14/23] af_unix: use scoped_with_init_fs() for coredump socket lookup Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 15/23] fs: add real_fs to track task's actual fs_struct Christian Brauner
2026-03-07 0:51 ` Askar Safin
2026-03-09 15:14 ` Jann Horn
2026-03-10 11:29 ` Christian Brauner
2026-03-10 16:05 ` Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 16/23] fs: make userspace_init_fs a dynamically-initialized pointer Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 17/23] fs: stop sharing fs_struct between init_task and pid 1 Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` Christian Brauner [this message]
2026-03-09 16:06 ` [PATCH RFC v2 18/23] fs: add umh argument to struct kernel_clone_args Jann Horn
2026-03-10 11:58 ` Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 19/23] fs: add kthread_mntns() Christian Brauner
2026-03-07 2:04 ` Askar Safin
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 20/23] devtmpfs: create private mount namespace Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 21/23] nullfs: make nullfs multi-instance Christian Brauner
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 22/23] fs: start all kthreads in nullfs Christian Brauner
2026-03-07 22:17 ` Askar Safin
2026-03-05 23:30 ` [PATCH RFC v2 23/23] fs: stop rewriting kthread fs structs Christian Brauner
2026-03-07 2:19 ` [PATCH RFC v2 00/23] fs,kthread: start all kthreads in nullfs Askar Safin
2026-03-09 16:50 ` Jann Horn
2026-03-10 12:54 ` Christian Brauner
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