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From: Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>
To: linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Linus Torvalds <torvalds@linux-foundation.org>,
	 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 v3 20/26] fs: add umh argument to struct kernel_clone_args
Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2026 22:44:03 +0100	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260311-work-kthread-nullfs-v3-20-3dd2cbe92ad0@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260311-work-kthread-nullfs-v3-0-3dd2cbe92ad0@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              | 25 +++++++++++++++++++++----
 kernel/umh.c               |  6 ++----
 3 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 8 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 154703cf7d3d..f62b4c370f74 100644
--- a/kernel/fork.c
+++ b/kernel/fork.c
@@ -1590,11 +1590,27 @@ 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);
+	}
 
-	VFS_WARN_ON_ONCE(current->fs != current->real_fs);
 	if (clone_flags & CLONE_FS) {
 		/* tsk->fs is already what we want */
 		read_seqlock_excl(&fs->seq);
@@ -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);
diff --git a/kernel/umh.c b/kernel/umh.c
index cffda97d961c..d3f4b308b85d 100644
--- a/kernel/umh.c
+++ b/kernel/umh.c
@@ -71,10 +71,8 @@ static int call_usermodehelper_exec_async(void *data)
 	spin_unlock_irq(&current->sighand->siglock);
 
 	/*
-	 * Initial kernel threads share ther FS with init, in order to
-	 * get the init root directory. But we've now created a new
-	 * thread that is going to execve a user process and has its own
-	 * 'struct fs_struct'. Reset umask to the default.
+	 * Usermodehelper threads get a copy of userspace init's
+	 * fs_struct. Reset umask to the default.
 	 */
 	current->fs->umask = 0022;
 

-- 
2.47.3


  parent reply	other threads:[~2026-03-11 21:57 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 28+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-03-11 21:43 [PATCH RFC v3 00/26] fs,kthread: start all kthreads in nullfs Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 01/26] fs: add switch_fs_struct() Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 02/26] fs: notice when init abandons fs sharing Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 03/26] fs: add scoped_with_init_fs() Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 04/26] fs: add real_fs to track task's actual fs_struct Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 05/26] fs: make userspace_init_fs a dynamically-initialized pointer Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 06/26] rnbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for block device open Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 07/26] crypto: ccp: use scoped_with_init_fs() for SEV file access Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 08/26] scsi: target: use scoped_with_init_fs() for ALUA metadata Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 09/26] scsi: target: use scoped_with_init_fs() for APTPL metadata Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 10/26] btrfs: use scoped_with_init_fs() for update_dev_time() Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 11/26] coredump: use scoped_with_init_fs() for coredump path resolution Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 12/26] fs: use scoped_with_init_fs() for kernel_read_file_from_path_initns() Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 13/26] ksmbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for share path resolution Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 14/26] ksmbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for filesystem info path lookup Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 15/26] ksmbd: use scoped_with_init_fs() for VFS path operations Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:43 ` [PATCH RFC v3 16/26] pnfs/blocklayout: use scoped_with_init_fs() for SCSI device lookup Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 17/26] initramfs: use scoped_with_init_fs() for rootfs unpacking Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 18/26] af_unix: use scoped_with_init_fs() for coredump socket lookup Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 19/26] fs: stop sharing fs_struct between init_task and pid 1 Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` Christian Brauner [this message]
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 21/26] fs: add kthread_mntns() Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 22:13   ` Thomas Weißschuh
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 22/26] devtmpfs: create private mount namespace Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 23/26] nullfs: make nullfs multi-instance Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 24/26] fs: start all kthreads in nullfs Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 25/26] fs: stop rewriting kthread fs structs Christian Brauner
2026-03-11 21:44 ` [PATCH RFC v3 26/26] fs: stop rewriting paths for PF_EXITING | PF_DUMPCORE Christian Brauner

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