[PATCH] tracing/user_events: Don't destroy fields when event removal fails

[PATCH] tracing/user_events: Don't destroy fields when event removal fails

[Henry Martin]

destroy_user_event() destroys the event's fields before attempting to
remove the trace event call. If user_event_set_call_visible() fails,
e.g. because the event is still enabled and trace_remove_event_call()
returns -EBUSY, the event is left registered with an irreversibly
destroyed field list. Any subsequent interaction with the event then
operates on an empty field list while it is still fully visible in
tracefs.

Move the field destruction after the call removal, and splice the
field list back onto the event when the removal fails so the event
remains in a consistent state.

Fixes: 7f5a08c79df35 ("user_events: Add minimal support for trace_event into ftrace")
Signed-off-by: Henry Martin <bsdhenrymartin@gmail.com>
---
 kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c | 16 ++++++++++------
 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
index 8c82ecb735f41..0b021c212995a 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
@@ -1119,10 +1119,9 @@ static void user_event_destroy_validators(struct user_event *user)
 	}
 }
 
-static void user_event_destroy_fields(struct user_event *user)
+static void user_event_destroy_fields(struct list_head *head)
 {
 	struct ftrace_event_field *field, *next;
-	struct list_head *head = &user->fields;
 
 	list_for_each_entry_safe(field, next, head, link) {
 		list_del(&field->link);
@@ -1499,17 +1498,21 @@ static int user_event_set_call_visible(struct user_event *user, bool visible)
 
 static int destroy_user_event(struct user_event *user)
 {
+	LIST_HEAD(fields);
 	int ret = 0;
 
 	lockdep_assert_held(&event_mutex);
 
-	/* Must destroy fields before call removal */
-	user_event_destroy_fields(user);
+	list_splice_init(&user->fields, &fields);
 
 	ret = user_event_set_call_visible(user, false);
 
-	if (ret)
+	if (ret) {
+		list_splice(&fields, &user->fields);
 		return ret;
+	}
+
+	user_event_destroy_fields(&fields);
 
 	dyn_event_remove(&user->devent);
 	hash_del(&user->node);
@@ -2209,7 +2212,7 @@ static int user_event_parse(struct user_event_group *group, char *name,
 put_user_lock:
 	mutex_unlock(&event_mutex);
 put_user:
-	user_event_destroy_fields(user);
+	user_event_destroy_fields(&user->fields);
 	user_event_destroy_validators(user);
 	kfree(user->call.print_fmt);
 
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH] tracing/user_events: Don't destroy fields when event removal fails

[Steven Rostedt]

Beau,

Can you review this patch?

Thanks,

-- Steve


On Mon, 24 Aug 2026 18:29:07 +0800
Henry Martin <bsdhenrymartin@gmail.com> wrote:

> destroy_user_event() destroys the event's fields before attempting to
> remove the trace event call. If user_event_set_call_visible() fails,
> e.g. because the event is still enabled and trace_remove_event_call()
> returns -EBUSY, the event is left registered with an irreversibly
> destroyed field list. Any subsequent interaction with the event then
> operates on an empty field list while it is still fully visible in
> tracefs.
> 
> Move the field destruction after the call removal, and splice the
> field list back onto the event when the removal fails so the event
> remains in a consistent state.
> 
> Fixes: 7f5a08c79df35 ("user_events: Add minimal support for trace_event into ftrace")
> Signed-off-by: Henry Martin <bsdhenrymartin@gmail.com>
> ---
>  kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c | 16 ++++++++++------
>  1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
> 
> diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
> index 8c82ecb735f41..0b021c212995a 100644
> --- a/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
> +++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events_user.c
> @@ -1119,10 +1119,9 @@ static void user_event_destroy_validators(struct user_event *user)
>  	}
>  }
>  
> -static void user_event_destroy_fields(struct user_event *user)
> +static void user_event_destroy_fields(struct list_head *head)
>  {
>  	struct ftrace_event_field *field, *next;
> -	struct list_head *head = &user->fields;
>  
>  	list_for_each_entry_safe(field, next, head, link) {
>  		list_del(&field->link);
> @@ -1499,17 +1498,21 @@ static int user_event_set_call_visible(struct user_event *user, bool visible)
>  
>  static int destroy_user_event(struct user_event *user)
>  {
> +	LIST_HEAD(fields);
>  	int ret = 0;
>  
>  	lockdep_assert_held(&event_mutex);
>  
> -	/* Must destroy fields before call removal */
> -	user_event_destroy_fields(user);
> +	list_splice_init(&user->fields, &fields);
>  
>  	ret = user_event_set_call_visible(user, false);
>  
> -	if (ret)
> +	if (ret) {
> +		list_splice(&fields, &user->fields);
>  		return ret;
> +	}
> +
> +	user_event_destroy_fields(&fields);
>  
>  	dyn_event_remove(&user->devent);
>  	hash_del(&user->node);
> @@ -2209,7 +2212,7 @@ static int user_event_parse(struct user_event_group *group, char *name,
>  put_user_lock:
>  	mutex_unlock(&event_mutex);
>  put_user:
> -	user_event_destroy_fields(user);
> +	user_event_destroy_fields(&user->fields);
>  	user_event_destroy_validators(user);
>  	kfree(user->call.print_fmt);
>