[PATCH net] net: fix a resource leak in copy_net_ns() error handling path

[PATCH net] net: fix a resource leak in copy_net_ns() error handling path

[Tetsuo Handa]

Currently, preinit_net() does two things:

  (1) call ns_common_init() which might fail
  (2) initialize resources which does not fail

However, preinit_net() is returning early when (1) fails, and copy_net_ns()
is jumping to the dec_ucounts: label. As a result, resources allocated by
net_alloc() are leaking. We need to call key_remove_domain() and
net_passive_dec() in order to release resources allocated by net_alloc().

We cannot simply jump to the put_userns: label when preinit_net() failed,
for (2) is not yet done. But we can reorder (1) and (2), for there is no
dependency between (1) and (2). Therefore, this patch decouples (1) from
preinit_net() and changes preinit_net() back to a void function, and calls
ns_common_init() after preinit_net() succeeded. Then, we can jump to
immediately after ns_common_free() of the put_userns: label.

Reported-by: sashiko (no mail address)
Closes: https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/af7dabf3-d0d7-46dc-a878-e1715b3c9ac6%40I-love.SAKURA.ne.jp
Fixes: 08027f6b790b ("net: use ns_common_init()")
Signed-off-by: Tetsuo Handa <penguin-kernel@I-love.SAKURA.ne.jp>
---
 net/core/net_namespace.c | 21 +++++++++------------
 1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 12 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/core/net_namespace.c b/net/core/net_namespace.c
index 9166f467293e..da5f881fbd3b 100644
--- a/net/core/net_namespace.c
+++ b/net/core/net_namespace.c
@@ -400,14 +400,8 @@ static __net_init void preinit_net_sysctl(struct net *net)
 }
 
 /* init code that must occur even if setup_net() is not called. */
-static __net_init int preinit_net(struct net *net, struct user_namespace *user_ns)
+static __net_init void preinit_net(struct net *net, struct user_namespace *user_ns)
 {
-	int ret;
-
-	ret = ns_common_init(net);
-	if (ret)
-		return ret;
-
 	refcount_set(&net->passive, 1);
 	ref_tracker_dir_init(&net->refcnt_tracker, 128, "net_refcnt");
 	ref_tracker_dir_init(&net->notrefcnt_tracker, 128, "net_notrefcnt");
@@ -431,7 +425,6 @@ static __net_init int preinit_net(struct net *net, struct user_namespace *user_n
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&net->ptype_all);
 	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&net->ptype_specific);
 	preinit_net_sysctl(net);
-	return 0;
 }
 
 /*
@@ -574,12 +567,14 @@ struct net *copy_net_ns(u64 flags,
 		goto dec_ucounts;
 	}
 
-	rv = preinit_net(net, user_ns);
-	if (rv < 0)
-		goto dec_ucounts;
+	preinit_net(net, user_ns);
 	net->ucounts = ucounts;
 	get_user_ns(user_ns);
 
+	rv = ns_common_init(net);
+	if (rv)
+		goto put_userns_no_common;
+
 	rv = down_read_killable(&pernet_ops_rwsem);
 	if (rv < 0)
 		goto put_userns;
@@ -591,6 +586,7 @@ struct net *copy_net_ns(u64 flags,
 	if (rv < 0) {
 put_userns:
 		ns_common_free(net);
+put_userns_no_common:
 #ifdef CONFIG_KEYS
 		key_remove_domain(net->key_domain);
 #endif
@@ -1293,7 +1289,8 @@ void __init net_ns_init(void)
 	 * This currently cannot fail as the initial network namespace
 	 * has a static inode number.
 	 */
-	if (preinit_net(&init_net, &init_user_ns))
+	preinit_net(&init_net, &init_user_ns);
+	if (ns_common_init(&init_net))
 		panic("Could not preinitialize the initial network namespace");
 
 	down_write(&pernet_ops_rwsem);
-- 
2.52.0

Re: [PATCH net] net: fix a resource leak in copy_net_ns() error handling path

[patchwork-bot+netdevbpf]

Hello:

This patch was applied to netdev/net.git (main)
by Paolo Abeni <pabeni@redhat.com>:

On Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:18:31 +0900 you wrote:
> Currently, preinit_net() does two things:
> 
>   (1) call ns_common_init() which might fail
>   (2) initialize resources which does not fail
> 
> However, preinit_net() is returning early when (1) fails, and copy_net_ns()
> is jumping to the dec_ucounts: label. As a result, resources allocated by
> net_alloc() are leaking. We need to call key_remove_domain() and
> net_passive_dec() in order to release resources allocated by net_alloc().
> 
> [...]

Here is the summary with links:
  - [net] net: fix a resource leak in copy_net_ns() error handling path
    https://git.kernel.org/netdev/net/c/3220b62fbb8a

You are awesome, thank you!
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