The Linux Kernel Mailing List
 help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>
To: Andrea Righi <arighi@nvidia.com>
Cc: David Vernet <void@manifault.com>,
	Changwoo Min <changwoo@igalia.com>,
	Emil Tsalapatis <emil@etsalapatis.com>,
	sched-ext@lists.linux.dev, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH sched_ext/for-7.1-fixes] sched_ext: Fix ops->priv NULL pointer deref in bpf_scx_unreg()
Date: Sun, 10 May 2026 16:55:30 -1000	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <a9e31398c4fc7b6ad21f4d9817eead12@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260510224332.2011982-1-arighi@nvidia.com>

Hello, Andrea.

I traced reload_loop with per-CPU ring probes around all @ops->priv
and scx_root assign/clear sites. The race is a stomp:

  T2 unreg(K)                       T1 reg(K)
  -----------                       ---------
  sch = ops->priv = sch_b800
  scx_disable; flush_disable_work
    [scx_root_disable: scx_root=NULL,
     mutex_unlock, state=DISABLED]
                                    mutex_lock; state ok
                                    scx_alloc_and_add_sched:
                                      ops->priv = sch_a800
                                    scx_root = sch_a800; init=0
                                    state=ENABLED; mutex_unlock
    [flush returns]
  RCU_INIT_POINTER(ops->priv, NULL) <-- clobbers sch_a800
  kobject_put(sch_b800)

Reachable because the unreg waits on sch->helper while the next reg
runs on the global scx_enable_helper, and scx_enable_mutex is released
inside scx_root_disable() well before bpf_scx_unreg() reaches its
RCU_INIT_POINTER. My trace caught 11us between PRIV_SET sch_a800 and
the clobber; nothing bounds it.

The posted patch suppresses the deref but leaves the stomp. Each
stomp leaks one sch (the "sch's base reference will be put by
bpf_scx_unreg()" contract assumes ops->priv still points at it), and
in the case I caught, sch_a800 is already SCX_ENABLED with scx_root
pointing at it - the bpf_link is gone but state stays ENABLED, so all
future attaches fail with -EBUSY permanently.

Suggestion: make @ops->priv the lifecycle binding. In
scx_root_enable_workfn() (and scx_sub_enable_workfn()), after the
existing state check and still under scx_enable_mutex, refuse with
-EBUSY if @ops->priv is non-NULL. Unreg side keeps its current
ordering.

One question: are there other paths that write or clear @ops->priv?
I only see the rcu_assign_pointer in scx_alloc_and_add_sched and the
RCU_INIT_POINTER(NULL) in bpf_scx_unreg().

Thanks.

--
tejun

  reply	other threads:[~2026-05-11  2:55 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 3+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-05-10 22:43 [PATCH sched_ext/for-7.1-fixes] sched_ext: Fix ops->priv NULL pointer deref in bpf_scx_unreg() Andrea Righi
2026-05-11  2:55 ` Tejun Heo [this message]
2026-05-11  5:41   ` Andrea Righi

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

  Avoid top-posting and favor interleaved quoting:
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Interleaved_style

* Reply using the --to, --cc, and --in-reply-to
  switches of git-send-email(1):

  git send-email \
    --in-reply-to=a9e31398c4fc7b6ad21f4d9817eead12@kernel.org \
    --to=tj@kernel.org \
    --cc=arighi@nvidia.com \
    --cc=changwoo@igalia.com \
    --cc=emil@etsalapatis.com \
    --cc=linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org \
    --cc=sched-ext@lists.linux.dev \
    --cc=void@manifault.com \
    /path/to/YOUR_REPLY

  https://kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-send-email.html

* If your mail client supports setting the In-Reply-To header
  via mailto: links, try the mailto: link
Be sure your reply has a Subject: header at the top and a blank line before the message body.
This is a public inbox, see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox