[PATCH] cxl/region: Fix potential double free of region device in delete_region_store

[PATCH] cxl/region: Fix potential double free of region device in delete_region_store

[Ma Ke]

cxl_find_region_by_name() uses device_find_child_by_name() to locate a
region device by name. This function implicitly increments the
device's reference count before returning the pointer by calling
device_find_child(). However, in delete_region_store(), after calling
devm_release_action() which synchronously executes
unregister_region(), an additional explicit put_device() is invoked.
The unregister_region() callback already contains a put_device() call
to decrement the reference count. This results in two consecutive
decrements of the same device's reference count. First decrement
occurs in unregister_region() via its put_device() call. Second
decrement occurs in delete_region_store() via the explicit
put_device(). We should remove the additional put_device().

As comment of device_find_child() says, 'NOTE: you will need to drop
the reference with put_device() after use'.

Found by code review.

Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Fixes: 779dd20cfb56 ("cxl/region: Add region creation support")
Signed-off-by: Ma Ke <make24@iscas.ac.cn>
---
 drivers/cxl/core/region.c | 1 -
 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/cxl/core/region.c b/drivers/cxl/core/region.c
index 6e5e1460068d..eacf726cf463 100644
--- a/drivers/cxl/core/region.c
+++ b/drivers/cxl/core/region.c
@@ -2672,7 +2672,6 @@ static ssize_t delete_region_store(struct device *dev,
 		return PTR_ERR(cxlr);
 
 	devm_release_action(port->uport_dev, unregister_region, cxlr);
-	put_device(&cxlr->dev);
 
 	return len;
 }
-- 
2.25.1

Re: [PATCH] cxl/region: Fix potential double free of region device in delete_region_store

[Robert Richter]

On 18.07.25 10:29:40, Ma Ke wrote:
> cxl_find_region_by_name() uses device_find_child_by_name() to locate a
> region device by name. This function implicitly increments the
> device's reference count before returning the pointer by calling
> device_find_child(). However, in delete_region_store(), after calling
> devm_release_action() which synchronously executes
> unregister_region(), an additional explicit put_device() is invoked.
> The unregister_region() callback already contains a put_device() call
> to decrement the reference count. This results in two consecutive
> decrements of the same device's reference count. First decrement
> occurs in unregister_region() via its put_device() call. Second
> decrement occurs in delete_region_store() via the explicit
> put_device(). We should remove the additional put_device().
> 
> As comment of device_find_child() says, 'NOTE: you will need to drop
> the reference with put_device() after use'.
> 
> Found by code review.
> 
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Fixes: 779dd20cfb56 ("cxl/region: Add region creation support")
> Signed-off-by: Ma Ke <make24@iscas.ac.cn>
> ---
>  drivers/cxl/core/region.c | 1 -
>  1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/drivers/cxl/core/region.c b/drivers/cxl/core/region.c
> index 6e5e1460068d..eacf726cf463 100644
> --- a/drivers/cxl/core/region.c
> +++ b/drivers/cxl/core/region.c
> @@ -2672,7 +2672,6 @@ static ssize_t delete_region_store(struct device *dev,
>  		return PTR_ERR(cxlr);
>  
>  	devm_release_action(port->uport_dev, unregister_region, cxlr);
> -	put_device(&cxlr->dev);

cxl_find_region_by_name() increments the ref count in addition. So the
ref count could be e.g. 2. This put_device() here only decrements it
once to have the same ref count as it was before calling the find. The
put_device() in unregister_region clears the ref count, which causes
the release function to be called.

So, no, we need both and we may not change the code.

Thanks,

-Robert

>  
>  	return len;
>  }
> -- 
> 2.25.1
>