[BUG] bpf: kprobe_multi allows BPF_F_SLEEPABLE programs, causing sleeping-in-atomic splat

[BUG] bpf: kprobe_multi allows BPF_F_SLEEPABLE programs, causing sleeping-in-atomic splat

[Varun R Mallya]

Hi,

I found a bug in the kprobe_multi BPF link creation path where the kernel
fails to reject programs with BPF_F_SLEEPABLE set.

kprobe.multi programs run in an atomic/RCU context and cannot sleep.
However, bpf_link_create() with BPF_TRACE_KPROBE_MULTI does not validate
whether the program being attached has BPF_F_SLEEPABLE set. This allows
sleepable helpers such as bpf_copy_from_user() to be invoked from a
non-sleepable context, triggering a "sleeping function called from invalid
context" splat.

Reproducer:

  /* crash.bpf.c */
  SEC("kprobe.multi")
  int handle_kprobe_multi_crash(struct pt_regs *ctx)
  {
      char buf[16];
      int ret;
      ret = bpf_copy_from_user(buf, sizeof(buf), (void *)ctx->sp);
      bpf_printk("bpf_copy_from_user ret: %d\n", ret);
      return 0;
  }

  /* loader: manually set BPF_F_SLEEPABLE before load, then attach via
     bpf_link_create() with BPF_TRACE_KPROBE_MULTI */
  bpf_program__set_flags(prog, BPF_F_SLEEPABLE);

Kernel output (bpf-next 7.0.0-rc5+):

[  483.577248] BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/uaccess.h:
169
[  483.577364] in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 1787, name: sudo
[  483.577420] preempt_count: 1, expected: 0
[  483.577453] RCU nest depth: 2, expected: 0
[  483.577486] INFO: lockdep is turned off.
Attachment successful! The bug is confirmed.
Check 'sudo dmesg -w' for BPF prints and warnings.
Triggering v[  483.577569] CfsPU: 7 UID: 0 PID: 1787 Comm: sudo Tainted: G        W           _
rea7.0.0-rc5+ #4 PREEMPT(full) 
d[  483.577571] T.ainted: [W]=WARN..

Su[  483.577572] Hrvardware name: Bochs Bochs, BIOS iBochs 01/01/2011v
[  483.577573] Call Trace:
[  483.577575]  e<TASK>
[  483.577578]  d!dump_stack_lvl+0x54/0x70
 [  483.577582]  If __might_resched+b0x200/0x220
p[  483.577585]  f__might_fault+0x_c2c/0x80
o[  483.577587]  p_copy_from_user+y0x23/0x80
_[  483.577591]  bpf_copy_from_user+0x27/0x50
[  483.577594]  fbpf_prog_1906cf6roa66546b5e_handlem__kprobe_multi_crash+0x33/0x4d
u[  483.577596]  skprobe_multi_linek_handler+0x15d/r re0x260
[  483.577599]  t? kprobe_multi_lurink_handler+0x99n/0x260
[  483.577602]  e? __pfx_vfs_readd +0x10/0x10
0[  483.577604]   in? ksys_read+0x7c/0x100
 [  483.577605]  dm? vfs_read+0x4/0esg, x360
t[  483.577607]  fprobe_ftrace_entry+0x3b8/0x480
[  483.577609]  h? ksys_read+0x7ce /0x100
e[  483.577610]  x? fprobe_ftrace_pentry+0x93/0x480l
o[  483.577612]  it? lock_release+0x42/0x330
 [  483.577615]  ? vfs_read+0x9/0wx360
o[  483.577616]  r? __x64_sys_rt_sigaction+0xde/0xke120
[  483.577619]  ? vfs_read+0x9/0x360
[  483.577620]  d? ksys_read+0x7c./0x100
[  483.577622]  
? do_syscall_64+0x143/0xf80
[  483.577624]  ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
[  483.577625]  ? trace_irq_disable+0x1d/0xc0
[  483.577627]  ? entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
[  483.577631]  </TASK>

I am sending in a patch that fixes this.

Signed-off-by: Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com>

[PATCH bpf] bpf: Reject sleepable kprobe_multi programs at attach time

[Varun R Mallya]

kprobe.multi programs run in atomic/RCU context and cannot sleep.
However, bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach() did not validate whether the
program being attached had the sleepable flag set, allowing sleepable
helpers such as bpf_copy_from_user() to be invoked from a non-sleepable
context.

This causes a "sleeping function called from invalid context" splat:

  BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/uaccess.h:169
  in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 1787, name: sudo
  preempt_count: 1, expected: 0
  RCU nest depth: 2, expected: 0

Fix this by rejecting sleepable programs early in
bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(), before any further processing.

Fixes: 0dcac272540613d41c05e89679e4ddb978b612f1 ("bpf: Add multi kprobe link")
Signed-off-by: Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com>
---
 kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c | 4 ++++
 1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)

diff --git a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
index 0b040a417442..af7079aa0f36 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
@@ -2752,6 +2752,10 @@ int bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(const union bpf_attr *attr, struct bpf_prog *pr
 	if (!is_kprobe_multi(prog))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	/* kprobe_multi is not allowed to be sleepable. */
+	if (prog->sleepable)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	/* Writing to context is not allowed for kprobes. */
 	if (prog->aux->kprobe_write_ctx)
 		return -EINVAL;
-- 
2.53.0

Re: [PATCH bpf] bpf: Reject sleepable kprobe_multi programs at attach time

[Kumar Kartikeya Dwivedi]

On Wed, 1 Apr 2026 at 15:49, Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> kprobe.multi programs run in atomic/RCU context and cannot sleep.
> However, bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach() did not validate whether the
> program being attached had the sleepable flag set, allowing sleepable
> helpers such as bpf_copy_from_user() to be invoked from a non-sleepable
> context.
>
> This causes a "sleeping function called from invalid context" splat:
>
>   BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/uaccess.h:169
>   in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 1787, name: sudo
>   preempt_count: 1, expected: 0
>   RCU nest depth: 2, expected: 0
>
> Fix this by rejecting sleepable programs early in
> bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(), before any further processing.
>
> Fixes: 0dcac272540613d41c05e89679e4ddb978b612f1 ("bpf: Add multi kprobe link")

Please use the right format.
Fixes: 0dcac2725406 ("bpf: Add multi kprobe link")

You can add the follow to your .gitconfig to generate the fixes tag.
[alias]
    fixes = log -1 --format='Fixes: %h (\"%s\")'

> Signed-off-by: Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com>
> ---
>  kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c | 4 ++++
>  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)
>
> diff --git a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> index 0b040a417442..af7079aa0f36 100644
> --- a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> +++ b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> @@ -2752,6 +2752,10 @@ int bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(const union bpf_attr *attr, struct bpf_prog *pr
>         if (!is_kprobe_multi(prog))
>                 return -EINVAL;
>
> +       /* kprobe_multi is not allowed to be sleepable. */
> +       if (prog->sleepable)
> +               return -EINVAL;
> +

Looks ok to me, Jiri, could you also take a look?

>         /* Writing to context is not allowed for kprobes. */
>         if (prog->aux->kprobe_write_ctx)
>                 return -EINVAL;
> --
> 2.53.0
>

Re: [PATCH bpf] bpf: Reject sleepable kprobe_multi programs at attach time

[Kumar Kartikeya Dwivedi]

On Wed, 1 Apr 2026 at 16:08, Kumar Kartikeya Dwivedi <memxor@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Wed, 1 Apr 2026 at 15:49, Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > kprobe.multi programs run in atomic/RCU context and cannot sleep.
> > However, bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach() did not validate whether the
> > program being attached had the sleepable flag set, allowing sleepable
> > helpers such as bpf_copy_from_user() to be invoked from a non-sleepable
> > context.
> >
> > This causes a "sleeping function called from invalid context" splat:
> >
> >   BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/uaccess.h:169
> >   in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 1787, name: sudo
> >   preempt_count: 1, expected: 0
> >   RCU nest depth: 2, expected: 0
> >
> > Fix this by rejecting sleepable programs early in
> > bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(), before any further processing.
> >
> > Fixes: 0dcac272540613d41c05e89679e4ddb978b612f1 ("bpf: Add multi kprobe link")
>
> Please use the right format.
> Fixes: 0dcac2725406 ("bpf: Add multi kprobe link")
>
> You can add the follow to your .gitconfig to generate the fixes tag.
> [alias]
>     fixes = log -1 --format='Fixes: %h (\"%s\")'
>
> > Signed-off-by: Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com>
> > ---
> >  kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c | 4 ++++
> >  1 file changed, 4 insertions(+)
> >
> > diff --git a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> > index 0b040a417442..af7079aa0f36 100644
> > --- a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> > +++ b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> > @@ -2752,6 +2752,10 @@ int bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(const union bpf_attr *attr, struct bpf_prog *pr
> >         if (!is_kprobe_multi(prog))
> >                 return -EINVAL;
> >
> > +       /* kprobe_multi is not allowed to be sleepable. */
> > +       if (prog->sleepable)
> > +               return -EINVAL;
> > +
>
> Looks ok to me, Jiri, could you also take a look?
>
> >         /* Writing to context is not allowed for kprobes. */
> >         if (prog->aux->kprobe_write_ctx)
> >                 return -EINVAL;
> > --
> > 2.53.0
> >

Also, please add a selftest.

pw-bot: cr

[PATCH bpf v2] bpf: Reject sleepable kprobe_multi programs at attach time

[Varun R Mallya]

kprobe.multi programs run in atomic/RCU context and cannot sleep.
However, bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach() did not validate whether the
program being attached had the sleepable flag set, allowing sleepable
helpers such as bpf_copy_from_user() to be invoked from a non-sleepable
context.

This causes a "sleeping function called from invalid context" splat:

  BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/uaccess.h:169
  in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 1787, name: sudo
  preempt_count: 1, expected: 0
  RCU nest depth: 2, expected: 0

Fix this by rejecting sleepable programs early in
bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(), before any further processing.

Also add a selftest that tries to load a sleepable kprobe_multi program
and it needs to be rejected for the test to pass.

Fixes: 0dcac2725406 ("bpf: Add multi kprobe link")
Signed-off-by: Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com>
---
 kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c                      |  4 ++
 .../bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c        | 41 +++++++++++++++++++
 .../bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c        | 13 ++++++
 3 files changed, 58 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c

diff --git a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
index 0b040a417442..af7079aa0f36 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
@@ -2752,6 +2752,10 @@ int bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(const union bpf_attr *attr, struct bpf_prog *pr
 	if (!is_kprobe_multi(prog))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
+	/* kprobe_multi is not allowed to be sleepable. */
+	if (prog->sleepable)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
 	/* Writing to context is not allowed for kprobes. */
 	if (prog->aux->kprobe_write_ctx)
 		return -EINVAL;
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c
index 78c974d4ea33..f02fec2b6fda 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #include "kprobe_multi_session_cookie.skel.h"
 #include "kprobe_multi_verifier.skel.h"
 #include "kprobe_write_ctx.skel.h"
+#include "kprobe_multi_sleepable.skel.h"
 #include "bpf/libbpf_internal.h"
 #include "bpf/hashmap.h"
 
@@ -633,6 +634,44 @@ static void test_attach_write_ctx(void)
 }
 #endif
 
+static void test_attach_multi_sleepable(void)
+{
+	struct kprobe_multi_sleepable *skel;
+	int err;
+
+	skel = kprobe_multi_sleepable__open();
+	if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(skel, "kprobe_multi_sleepable__open"))
+		return;
+
+	err = bpf_program__set_flags(skel->progs.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable,
+				     BPF_F_SLEEPABLE);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "bpf_program__set_flags"))
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	/* Load should succeed even with BPF_F_SLEEPABLE for KPROBE types */
+	err = kprobe_multi_sleepable__load(skel);
+	if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "kprobe_multi_sleepable__load"))
+		goto cleanup;
+
+	/* Attachment must fail for kprobe.multi + BPF_F_SLEEPABLE.
+	 * Also chosen a stable symbol to send into opts
+	 */
+	LIBBPF_OPTS(bpf_kprobe_multi_opts, opts);
+	const char *sym = "vfs_read";
+
+	opts.syms = &sym;
+	opts.cnt = 1;
+
+	skel->links.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable =
+		bpf_program__attach_kprobe_multi_opts(skel->progs.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable,
+						      NULL, &opts);
+	ASSERT_ERR_PTR(skel->links.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable,
+		       "bpf_program__attach_kprobe_multi_opts");
+
+cleanup:
+	kprobe_multi_sleepable__destroy(skel);
+}
+
 void serial_test_kprobe_multi_bench_attach(void)
 {
 	if (test__start_subtest("kernel"))
@@ -676,5 +715,7 @@ void test_kprobe_multi_test(void)
 		test_unique_match();
 	if (test__start_subtest("attach_write_ctx"))
 		test_attach_write_ctx();
+	if (test__start_subtest("attach_multi_sleepable"))
+		test_attach_multi_sleepable();
 	RUN_TESTS(kprobe_multi_verifier);
 }
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..56973ad8779d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
+
+#include "vmlinux.h"
+#include <bpf/bpf_helpers.h>
+#include <bpf/bpf_tracing.h>
+
+SEC("kprobe.multi")
+int handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable(struct pt_regs *ctx)
+{
+	return 0;
+}
+
+char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
-- 
2.53.0

Re: [PATCH bpf v2] bpf: Reject sleepable kprobe_multi programs at attach time

[Kumar Kartikeya Dwivedi]

On Wed, 1 Apr 2026 at 18:26, Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> kprobe.multi programs run in atomic/RCU context and cannot sleep.
> However, bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach() did not validate whether the
> program being attached had the sleepable flag set, allowing sleepable
> helpers such as bpf_copy_from_user() to be invoked from a non-sleepable
> context.
>
> This causes a "sleeping function called from invalid context" splat:
>
>   BUG: sleeping function called from invalid context at ./include/linux/uaccess.h:169
>   in_atomic(): 1, irqs_disabled(): 0, non_block: 0, pid: 1787, name: sudo
>   preempt_count: 1, expected: 0
>   RCU nest depth: 2, expected: 0
>
> Fix this by rejecting sleepable programs early in
> bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(), before any further processing.
>
> Also add a selftest that tries to load a sleepable kprobe_multi program
> and it needs to be rejected for the test to pass.
>
> Fixes: 0dcac2725406 ("bpf: Add multi kprobe link")
> Signed-off-by: Varun R Mallya <varunrmallya@gmail.com>
> ---

Looks ok, but please split kernel fix and tests into separate patches,
and no need to reply to this thread.

pw-bot: cr


>  kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c                      |  4 ++
>  .../bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c        | 41 +++++++++++++++++++
>  .../bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c        | 13 ++++++
>  3 files changed, 58 insertions(+)
>  create mode 100644 tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c
>
> diff --git a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> index 0b040a417442..af7079aa0f36 100644
> --- a/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> +++ b/kernel/trace/bpf_trace.c
> @@ -2752,6 +2752,10 @@ int bpf_kprobe_multi_link_attach(const union bpf_attr *attr, struct bpf_prog *pr
>         if (!is_kprobe_multi(prog))
>                 return -EINVAL;
>
> +       /* kprobe_multi is not allowed to be sleepable. */
> +       if (prog->sleepable)
> +               return -EINVAL;
> +
>         /* Writing to context is not allowed for kprobes. */
>         if (prog->aux->kprobe_write_ctx)
>                 return -EINVAL;
> diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c
> index 78c974d4ea33..f02fec2b6fda 100644
> --- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c
> +++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/kprobe_multi_test.c
> @@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
>  #include "kprobe_multi_session_cookie.skel.h"
>  #include "kprobe_multi_verifier.skel.h"
>  #include "kprobe_write_ctx.skel.h"
> +#include "kprobe_multi_sleepable.skel.h"
>  #include "bpf/libbpf_internal.h"
>  #include "bpf/hashmap.h"
>
> @@ -633,6 +634,44 @@ static void test_attach_write_ctx(void)
>  }
>  #endif
>
> +static void test_attach_multi_sleepable(void)
> +{
> +       struct kprobe_multi_sleepable *skel;
> +       int err;
> +
> +       skel = kprobe_multi_sleepable__open();
> +       if (!ASSERT_OK_PTR(skel, "kprobe_multi_sleepable__open"))
> +               return;
> +
> +       err = bpf_program__set_flags(skel->progs.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable,
> +                                    BPF_F_SLEEPABLE);
> +       if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "bpf_program__set_flags"))
> +               goto cleanup;
> +
> +       /* Load should succeed even with BPF_F_SLEEPABLE for KPROBE types */
> +       err = kprobe_multi_sleepable__load(skel);
> +       if (!ASSERT_OK(err, "kprobe_multi_sleepable__load"))
> +               goto cleanup;
> +
> +       /* Attachment must fail for kprobe.multi + BPF_F_SLEEPABLE.
> +        * Also chosen a stable symbol to send into opts
> +        */
> +       LIBBPF_OPTS(bpf_kprobe_multi_opts, opts);
> +       const char *sym = "vfs_read";
> +
> +       opts.syms = &sym;
> +       opts.cnt = 1;
> +
> +       skel->links.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable =
> +               bpf_program__attach_kprobe_multi_opts(skel->progs.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable,
> +                                                     NULL, &opts);
> +       ASSERT_ERR_PTR(skel->links.handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable,
> +                      "bpf_program__attach_kprobe_multi_opts");
> +
> +cleanup:
> +       kprobe_multi_sleepable__destroy(skel);
> +}
> +
>  void serial_test_kprobe_multi_bench_attach(void)
>  {
>         if (test__start_subtest("kernel"))
> @@ -676,5 +715,7 @@ void test_kprobe_multi_test(void)
>                 test_unique_match();
>         if (test__start_subtest("attach_write_ctx"))
>                 test_attach_write_ctx();
> +       if (test__start_subtest("attach_multi_sleepable"))
> +               test_attach_multi_sleepable();
>         RUN_TESTS(kprobe_multi_verifier);
>  }
> diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c
> new file mode 100644
> index 000000000000..56973ad8779d
> --- /dev/null
> +++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/kprobe_multi_sleepable.c
> @@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
> +// SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0
> +
> +#include "vmlinux.h"
> +#include <bpf/bpf_helpers.h>
> +#include <bpf/bpf_tracing.h>
> +
> +SEC("kprobe.multi")
> +int handle_kprobe_multi_sleepable(struct pt_regs *ctx)
> +{
> +       return 0;
> +}
> +
> +char _license[] SEC("license") = "GPL";
> --
> 2.53.0
>