Re: [PATCH] scsi: target: Fix recursive locking in __configfs_open_file()

[Prithvi <activprithvi@gmail.com>]

On Fri, Jan 09, 2026 at 12:45:23AM +0530, Prithvi Tambewagh wrote:
> In flush_write_buffer, &p->frag_sem is acquired and then the loaded store
> function is called, which, here, is target_core_item_dbroot_store().
> This function called filp_open(), following which these functions were
> called (in reverse order), according to the call trace:
> 
> down_read
> __configfs_open_file
> do_dentry_open
> vfs_open
> do_open
> path_openat
> do_filp_open
> file_open_name
> filp_open
> target_core_item_dbroot_store
> flush_write_buffer
> configfs_write_iter
> 
> Hence ultimately, __configfs_open_file() was called, indirectly by
> target_core_item_dbroot_store(), and it also attempted to acquire
> &p->frag_sem, which was already held by the same thread, acquired earlier
> in flush_write_buffer. This poses a possibility of recursive locking,
> which triggers the lockdep warning.
> 
> Fix this by modifying target_core_item_dbroot_store() to use kern_path()
> instead of filp_open() to avoid opening the file using filesystem-specific
> function __configfs_open_file(), and further modifying it to make this
> fix compatible.
> 
> Reported-by: syzbot+f6e8174215573a84b797@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
> Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=f6e8174215573a84b797
> Tested-by: syzbot+f6e8174215573a84b797@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Prithvi Tambewagh <activprithvi@gmail.com>
> ---
>  drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c | 13 +++++++------
>  1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c b/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
> index b19acd662726..f29052e6a87d 100644
> --- a/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
> +++ b/drivers/target/target_core_configfs.c
> @@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ static ssize_t target_core_item_dbroot_store(struct config_item *item,
>  					const char *page, size_t count)
>  {
>  	ssize_t read_bytes;
> -	struct file *fp;
>  	ssize_t r = -EINVAL;
> +	struct path path = {};
>  
>  	mutex_lock(&target_devices_lock);
>  	if (target_devices) {
> @@ -131,17 +131,18 @@ static ssize_t target_core_item_dbroot_store(struct config_item *item,
>  		db_root_stage[read_bytes - 1] = '\0';
>  
>  	/* validate new db root before accepting it */
> -	fp = filp_open(db_root_stage, O_RDONLY, 0);
> -	if (IS_ERR(fp)) {
> +	r = kern_path(db_root_stage, LOOKUP_FOLLOW, &path);
> +	if (r) {
>  		pr_err("db_root: cannot open: %s\n", db_root_stage);
>  		goto unlock;
>  	}
> -	if (!S_ISDIR(file_inode(fp)->i_mode)) {
> -		filp_close(fp, NULL);
> +	if (!d_is_dir(path.dentry)) {
> +		path_put(&path);
>  		pr_err("db_root: not a directory: %s\n", db_root_stage);
> +		r = -ENOTDIR;
>  		goto unlock;
>  	}
> -	filp_close(fp, NULL);
> +	path_put(&path);
>  
>  	strscpy(db_root, db_root_stage);
>  	pr_debug("Target_Core_ConfigFS: db_root set to %s\n", db_root);
> 
> base-commit: 3a8660878839faadb4f1a6dd72c3179c1df56787
> -- 
> 2.34.1
> 

Hello all,

Just a gentle ping on this thread.

Thanks, 
Prithvi