* [PATCH net] net: pin protocol module before socket allocation
@ 2026-08-23 17:13 Chengfeng Ye
2026-08-24 18:22 ` Kuniyuki Iwashima
2026-08-25 17:23 ` [PATCH net v2] net: pin protocol module before inet " Chengfeng Ye
0 siblings, 2 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Chengfeng Ye @ 2026-08-23 17:13 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Eric Dumazet, Kuniyuki Iwashima, Paolo Abeni, Willem de Bruijn,
David S. Miller, Jakub Kicinski, Simon Horman, Frank Filz
Cc: netdev, linux-kernel, Chengfeng Ye
sk_prot_alloc() reads prot->slab and starts allocating the socket
before it gets a reference to prot->owner. A protocol module can begin
unloading after its protocol was selected but before the reference is
taken, allowing this interleaving:
CPU 0 CPU 1
slab = prot->slab
proto_unregister(prot)
kmem_cache_destroy(prot->slab)
kmem_cache_alloc(slab, ...)
kmem_cache_alloc() then dereferences a freed struct kmem_cache and can
crash or corrupt memory. The kernel reported:
Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address
KASAN: maybe wild-memory-access in range
RIP: kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x63/0x370
Call Trace:
sk_prot_alloc+0x74/0x2c0
sk_alloc+0x2b/0x6c0
inet_create+0x2cd/0xd40
__sock_create+0x1c3/0x430
__sys_socket+0x116/0x1d0
Take the module reference before reading prot->slab so module removal
cannot destroy the cache during allocation. Drop that reference after
freeing the allocation on either failure path; on success sk_prot_free()
continues to release it as before.
Fixes: a79af59efd20 ("[NET]: Fix module reference counts for loadable protocol modules")
Signed-off-by: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@gmail.com>
---
net/core/sock.c | 13 ++++++++-----
1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/net/core/sock.c b/net/core/sock.c
index 1ad41904db25..59f4b15fd594 100644
--- a/net/core/sock.c
+++ b/net/core/sock.c
@@ -2240,33 +2240,34 @@ static struct sock *sk_prot_alloc(struct proto *prot, gfp_t priority,
struct sock *sk;
struct kmem_cache *slab;
+ if (!try_module_get(prot->owner))
+ return NULL;
+
slab = prot->slab;
if (slab != NULL) {
sk = kmem_cache_alloc(slab, priority & ~__GFP_ZERO);
if (!sk)
- return sk;
+ goto out_module_put;
if (want_init_on_alloc(priority))
sk_prot_clear_nulls(sk, prot->obj_size);
} else
sk = kmalloc(prot->obj_size, priority);
- if (sk != NULL) {
- if (security_sk_alloc(sk, family, priority))
- goto out_free;
-
- if (!try_module_get(prot->owner))
- goto out_free_sec;
- }
+ if (!sk)
+ goto out_module_put;
+
+ if (security_sk_alloc(sk, family, priority))
+ goto out_free;
return sk;
-out_free_sec:
- security_sk_free(sk);
out_free:
if (slab != NULL)
kmem_cache_free(slab, sk);
else
kfree(sk);
+out_module_put:
+ module_put(prot->owner);
return NULL;
}
--
2.43.0
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH net] net: pin protocol module before socket allocation
2026-08-23 17:13 [PATCH net] net: pin protocol module before socket allocation Chengfeng Ye
@ 2026-08-24 18:22 ` Kuniyuki Iwashima
2026-08-25 17:26 ` Chengfeng Ye
2026-08-25 17:23 ` [PATCH net v2] net: pin protocol module before inet " Chengfeng Ye
1 sibling, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Kuniyuki Iwashima @ 2026-08-24 18:22 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Chengfeng Ye
Cc: Eric Dumazet, Paolo Abeni, Willem de Bruijn, David S. Miller,
Jakub Kicinski, Simon Horman, Frank Filz, netdev, linux-kernel
On Sun, Aug 23, 2026 at 10:13 AM Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> sk_prot_alloc() reads prot->slab and starts allocating the socket
> before it gets a reference to prot->owner. A protocol module can begin
> unloading after its protocol was selected but before the reference is
> taken, allowing this interleaving:
>
> CPU 0 CPU 1
> slab = prot->slab
> proto_unregister(prot)
> kmem_cache_destroy(prot->slab)
> kmem_cache_alloc(slab, ...)
>
> kmem_cache_alloc() then dereferences a freed struct kmem_cache and can
> crash or corrupt memory. The kernel reported:
>
> Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address
> KASAN: maybe wild-memory-access in range
> RIP: kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x63/0x370
> Call Trace:
> sk_prot_alloc+0x74/0x2c0
> sk_alloc+0x2b/0x6c0
> inet_create+0x2cd/0xd40
inet_create() rather looks broken.
inet_unregister_protosw() calls synchronize_net(), but the following
proto_unregister() might be done after rcu_read_unlock() and before
WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab) in inet_create().
Which module did you use to trigger the bug ?
> __sock_create+0x1c3/0x430
> __sys_socket+0x116/0x1d0
>
> Take the module reference before reading prot->slab so module removal
> cannot destroy the cache during allocation. Drop that reference after
> freeing the allocation on either failure path; on success sk_prot_free()
> continues to release it as before.
>
> Fixes: a79af59efd20 ("[NET]: Fix module reference counts for loadable protocol modules")
> Signed-off-by: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@gmail.com>
> ---
> net/core/sock.c | 13 ++++++++-----
> 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/net/core/sock.c b/net/core/sock.c
> index 1ad41904db25..59f4b15fd594 100644
> --- a/net/core/sock.c
> +++ b/net/core/sock.c
> @@ -2240,33 +2240,34 @@ static struct sock *sk_prot_alloc(struct proto *prot, gfp_t priority,
> struct sock *sk;
> struct kmem_cache *slab;
>
> + if (!try_module_get(prot->owner))
> + return NULL;
> +
> slab = prot->slab;
> if (slab != NULL) {
> sk = kmem_cache_alloc(slab, priority & ~__GFP_ZERO);
> if (!sk)
> - return sk;
> + goto out_module_put;
> if (want_init_on_alloc(priority))
> sk_prot_clear_nulls(sk, prot->obj_size);
> } else
> sk = kmalloc(prot->obj_size, priority);
>
> - if (sk != NULL) {
> - if (security_sk_alloc(sk, family, priority))
> - goto out_free;
> -
> - if (!try_module_get(prot->owner))
> - goto out_free_sec;
> - }
> + if (!sk)
> + goto out_module_put;
> +
> + if (security_sk_alloc(sk, family, priority))
> + goto out_free;
>
> return sk;
>
> -out_free_sec:
> - security_sk_free(sk);
> out_free:
> if (slab != NULL)
> kmem_cache_free(slab, sk);
> else
> kfree(sk);
> +out_module_put:
> + module_put(prot->owner);
> return NULL;
> }
>
> --
> 2.43.0
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* [PATCH net v2] net: pin protocol module before inet socket allocation
2026-08-23 17:13 [PATCH net] net: pin protocol module before socket allocation Chengfeng Ye
2026-08-24 18:22 ` Kuniyuki Iwashima
@ 2026-08-25 17:23 ` Chengfeng Ye
2026-08-30 23:57 ` Jakub Kicinski
1 sibling, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Chengfeng Ye @ 2026-08-25 17:23 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Eric Dumazet, Kuniyuki Iwashima, Paolo Abeni, Willem de Bruijn,
David S. Miller, Jakub Kicinski, Simon Horman
Cc: netdev, linux-kernel, Chengfeng Ye, stable
inet_create() and inet6_create() look up the protocol under
rcu_read_lock(), then drop RCU before using the resulting proto.
sk_alloc() uses GFP_KERNEL, so RCU cannot be held across it.
A loadable protocol can be unregistered in that window.
inet_unregister_protosw() waits with synchronize_net() only for
readers still in the RCU section. After rcu_read_unlock(), module
exit can run proto_unregister(), destroy prot->slab, and free the
module. inet_create() then uses a dangling proto pointer:
CPU 0 inet_create CPU 1 l2tp_ip_exit
rcu_read_lock()
answer_prot = answer->prot
rcu_read_unlock() inet_unregister_protosw()
synchronize_net()
proto_unregister()
kmem_cache_destroy(slab)
WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab)
sk_alloc() -> kmem_cache_alloc(stale)
This was reproduced with socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_L2TP)
racing delete_module("l2tp_ip"):
Oops: general protection fault, probably for non-canonical address
KASAN: maybe wild-memory-access in range
RIP: kmem_cache_alloc_noprof+0x63/0x370
Call Trace:
sk_prot_alloc+0x74/0x2c0
sk_alloc+0x2b/0x6c0
inet_create+0x2cd/0xd40
__sock_create+0x1c3/0x430
__sys_socket+0x116/0x1d0
__sock_create() already converts family lookup into a module
reference before dropping RCU, but that pins inet, not the protocol
module. Pin answer_prot->owner while still under RCU, then allocate.
sk_prot_alloc() still takes the socket-lifetime reference; drop the
temporary one on every path after sk_alloc(). inet6_create() has the
same hole.
Fixes: a79af59efd20 ("[NET]: Fix module reference counts for loadable protocol modules")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@gmail.com>
---
v2: Pin answer_prot->owner in inet_create()/inet6_create() under
RCU instead of reordering try_module_get() in sk_prot_alloc().
sk_alloc() can sleep, so the lookup must be converted into a
module reference before rcu_read_unlock(). Suggested by
Kuniyuki Iwashima.
net/ipv4/af_inet.c | 10 ++++++++--
net/ipv6/af_inet6.c | 10 ++++++++--
2 files changed, 16 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
diff --git a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
index 32d006c1a8ee..88a18ac0e6e4 100644
--- a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
+++ b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
@@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
sock->ops = answer->ops;
answer_prot = answer->prot;
answer_flags = answer->flags;
+ if (!try_module_get(answer_prot->owner)) {
+ err = -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
+ goto out_rcu_unlock;
+ }
rcu_read_unlock();
WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab);
@@ -332,7 +336,7 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
err = -ENOMEM;
sk = sk_alloc(net, PF_INET, GFP_KERNEL, answer_prot, kern);
if (!sk)
- goto out;
+ goto out_module_put;
err = 0;
if (INET_PROTOSW_REUSE & answer_flags)
@@ -398,6 +402,8 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
if (err)
goto out_sk_release;
}
+out_module_put:
+ module_put(answer_prot->owner);
out:
return err;
out_rcu_unlock:
@@ -406,7 +412,7 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
out_sk_release:
sk_common_release(sk);
sock->sk = NULL;
- goto out;
+ goto out_module_put;
}
diff --git a/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c b/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
index 282912a11999..82b390ce3e0c 100644
--- a/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
+++ b/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
@@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ static int inet6_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
sock->ops = answer->ops;
answer_prot = answer->prot;
answer_flags = answer->flags;
+ if (!try_module_get(answer_prot->owner)) {
+ err = -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
+ goto out_rcu_unlock;
+ }
rcu_read_unlock();
WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab);
@@ -177,7 +181,7 @@ static int inet6_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
err = -ENOBUFS;
sk = sk_alloc(net, PF_INET6, GFP_KERNEL, answer_prot, kern);
if (!sk)
- goto out;
+ goto out_module_put;
sock_init_data(sock, sk);
@@ -251,6 +255,8 @@ static int inet6_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
if (err)
goto out_sk_release;
}
+out_module_put:
+ module_put(answer_prot->owner);
out:
return err;
out_rcu_unlock:
@@ -259,7 +265,7 @@ static int inet6_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
out_sk_release:
sk_common_release(sk);
sock->sk = NULL;
- goto out;
+ goto out_module_put;
}
int __inet6_bind(struct sock *sk, struct sockaddr_unsized *uaddr, int addr_len,
--
2.43.0
^ permalink raw reply related [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH net] net: pin protocol module before socket allocation
2026-08-24 18:22 ` Kuniyuki Iwashima
@ 2026-08-25 17:26 ` Chengfeng Ye
0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Chengfeng Ye @ 2026-08-25 17:26 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Kuniyuki Iwashima
Cc: Eric Dumazet, Paolo Abeni, Willem de Bruijn, David S. Miller,
Jakub Kicinski, Simon Horman, Frank Filz, netdev, linux-kernel
On Tue, Aug 25, 2026 at 2:22 AM Kuniyuki Iwashima <kuniyu@google.com> wrote:
> inet_create() rather looks broken.
>
> inet_unregister_protosw() calls synchronize_net(), but the following
> proto_unregister() might be done after rcu_read_unlock() and before
> WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab) in inet_create().
Right, that is the root cause. As sk_alloc() uses GFP_KERNEL, it
cannot run under rcu_read_lock(). I just sent a v2 by moving the extra
module reference get/put to inet_create().
> Which module did you use to trigger the bug ?
It is l2tp_ip, via socket(AF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_L2TP) racing
delete_module("l2tp_ip"). I think inet6_create() also suffers from
this bug as it has a similar pattern, so v2 also fixes that path as
well.
Best regards,
Chengfeng
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH net v2] net: pin protocol module before inet socket allocation
2026-08-25 17:23 ` [PATCH net v2] net: pin protocol module before inet " Chengfeng Ye
@ 2026-08-30 23:57 ` Jakub Kicinski
2026-09-04 11:16 ` Chengfeng Ye
0 siblings, 1 reply; 6+ messages in thread
From: Jakub Kicinski @ 2026-08-30 23:57 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: nicoyip.dev
Cc: Jakub Kicinski, edumazet, kuniyu, pabeni, willemb, davem, horms,
netdev, linux-kernel, stable
This is an AI-generated review of your patch. The human sending this
email has considered the AI review valid, or at least plausible.
---
net: pin protocol module before inet socket allocation
inet_create() and inet6_create() look up the inet_protosw under RCU and then
drop RCU before using answer_prot across the sleeping sk_alloc(). The patch
takes try_module_get(answer_prot->owner) while still under RCU and drops the
reference on every path after sk_alloc().
> diff --git a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
> index 32d006c1a8eed..88a18ac0e6e42 100644
> --- a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
> +++ b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
> @@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
> sock->ops = answer->ops;
> answer_prot = answer->prot;
> answer_flags = answer->flags;
> + if (!try_module_get(answer_prot->owner)) {
> + err = -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
> + goto out_rcu_unlock;
> + }
> rcu_read_unlock();
>
> WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab);
[Severity: High]
Does a plain try_module_get() here cover the case where the protocol module
is still inside its own init and then rolls back?
try_module_get() only gates on module_is_live():
kernel/module/main.c:try_module_get() {
...
if (likely(module_is_live(module) &&
atomic_inc_not_zero(&module->refcnt) != 0))
...
}
include/linux/module.h:
/* FIXME: It'd be nice to isolate modules during init, too, so they
aren't used before they (may) fail. */
static inline bool module_is_live(struct module *mod)
{
return mod->state != MODULE_STATE_GOING;
}
So the pin succeeds for a module in MODULE_STATE_COMING, i.e. while
do_one_initcall(mod->init) is still running with module_mutex dropped.
Some protocol modules publish the protosw early in init and then destroy the
slab from their init-failure unwind, which does not consult the module
refcount:
net/sctp/protocol.c:sctp_v4_protosw_exit() {
inet_unregister_protosw(&sctp_stream_protosw);
inet_unregister_protosw(&sctp_seqpacket_protosw);
proto_unregister(&sctp_prot);
}
reached from the err_protosw_init label in sctp_init() after
sctp_v4_protosw_init() has already registered the protosw. net/smc has the
same shape:
net/smc/smc_inet.c:smc_inet_init() {
...
out_inet6_protosw:
proto_unregister(&smc_inet6_prot);
out_inet6_prot:
inet_unregister_protosw(&smc_inet_protosw);
proto_unregister(&smc_inet_prot);
...
}
Can the sequence the commit message describes still happen with that?
CPU 0 inet_create CPU 1 modprobe sctp (mod->init)
rcu_read_lock() sctp_v4_protosw_init() /* published */
answer_prot = answer->prot
try_module_get() /* COMING -> ok */
rcu_read_unlock() /* later init step fails */
sctp_v4_protosw_exit()
inet_unregister_protosw()
synchronize_net() /* returns at once */
proto_unregister()
kmem_cache_destroy(slab)
WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab)
sk_alloc() -> kmem_cache_alloc(stale)
The kernel's own helper rejects exactly this state, which suggests a plain
reference is not a lifetime guarantee during init:
kernel/module/main.c:
/*
* We require a truly strong try_module_get(): 0 means success.
* Otherwise an error is returned due to ongoing or failed
* initialization etc.
*/
static inline int strong_try_module_get(struct module *mod)
{
BUG_ON(mod && mod->state == MODULE_STATE_UNFORMED);
if (mod && mod->state == MODULE_STATE_COMING)
return -EBUSY;
Would rejecting owners in MODULE_STATE_COMING (or taking a reference tied to
the protosw/proto lifetime instead of the module refcount) close the residual
window?
> @@ -398,6 +402,8 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
> if (err)
> goto out_sk_release;
> }
> +out_module_put:
> + module_put(answer_prot->owner);
> out:
> return err;
> out_rcu_unlock:
[Severity: High]
On the same init-failure path, can module_put(answer_prot->owner) here read
freed memory?
answer_prot lives in the module's .data, and do_init_module() frees the module
image without waiting for foreign references:
kernel/module/main.c:do_init_module() {
...
fail:
/* Try to protect us from buggy refcounters. */
mod->state = MODULE_STATE_GOING;
synchronize_rcu();
module_put(mod);
...
free_module(mod);
}
That is unlike the delete_module() path, which does the refcount handshake in
try_stop_module()/try_release_module_ref(). So after free_module() runs,
both answer_prot->owner and the sock->ops pointer already stored above refer
to freed module memory.
[ ... ]
> diff --git a/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c b/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
> index 282912a119999..82b390ce3e0cd 100644
> --- a/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
> +++ b/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
> @@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ static int inet6_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
> sock->ops = answer->ops;
> answer_prot = answer->prot;
> answer_flags = answer->flags;
> + if (!try_module_get(answer_prot->owner)) {
> + err = -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
> + goto out_rcu_unlock;
> + }
> rcu_read_unlock();
>
> WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab);
[Severity: High]
inet6_create() has the same exclusion, and it also dereferences the protosw
after RCU is dropped:
sk->sk_backlog_rcv = answer->prot->backlog_rcv;
Does the COMING-module case above apply here too, given that sctp and smc
register their IPv6 protosw during init and unwind through
inet_unregister_protosw() + proto_unregister() on failure?
[ ... ]
--
pw-bot: cr
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH net v2] net: pin protocol module before inet socket allocation
2026-08-30 23:57 ` Jakub Kicinski
@ 2026-09-04 11:16 ` Chengfeng Ye
0 siblings, 0 replies; 6+ messages in thread
From: Chengfeng Ye @ 2026-09-04 11:16 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Jakub Kicinski
Cc: edumazet, kuniyu, pabeni, willemb, davem, horms, netdev,
linux-kernel, stable
On Mon, Aug 31, 2026 at 7:57 AM Jakub Kicinski <kuba@kernel.org> wrote:
>
> This is an AI-generated review of your patch. The human sending this
> email has considered the AI review valid, or at least plausible.
> ---
> net: pin protocol module before inet socket allocation
>
> inet_create() and inet6_create() look up the inet_protosw under RCU and then
> drop RCU before using answer_prot across the sleeping sk_alloc(). The patch
> takes try_module_get(answer_prot->owner) while still under RCU and drops the
> reference on every path after sk_alloc().
>
> > diff --git a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
> > index 32d006c1a8eed..88a18ac0e6e42 100644
> > --- a/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
> > +++ b/net/ipv4/af_inet.c
> > @@ -325,6 +325,10 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
> > sock->ops = answer->ops;
> > answer_prot = answer->prot;
> > answer_flags = answer->flags;
> > + if (!try_module_get(answer_prot->owner)) {
> > + err = -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
> > + goto out_rcu_unlock;
> > + }
> > rcu_read_unlock();
> >
> > WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab);
>
> [Severity: High]
> Does a plain try_module_get() here cover the case where the protocol module
> is still inside its own init and then rolls back?
>
> try_module_get() only gates on module_is_live():
>
> kernel/module/main.c:try_module_get() {
> ...
> if (likely(module_is_live(module) &&
> atomic_inc_not_zero(&module->refcnt) != 0))
> ...
> }
>
> include/linux/module.h:
> /* FIXME: It'd be nice to isolate modules during init, too, so they
> aren't used before they (may) fail. */
> static inline bool module_is_live(struct module *mod)
> {
> return mod->state != MODULE_STATE_GOING;
> }
>
> So the pin succeeds for a module in MODULE_STATE_COMING, i.e. while
> do_one_initcall(mod->init) is still running with module_mutex dropped.
>
> Some protocol modules publish the protosw early in init and then destroy the
> slab from their init-failure unwind, which does not consult the module
> refcount:
>
> net/sctp/protocol.c:sctp_v4_protosw_exit() {
> inet_unregister_protosw(&sctp_stream_protosw);
> inet_unregister_protosw(&sctp_seqpacket_protosw);
> proto_unregister(&sctp_prot);
> }
>
> reached from the err_protosw_init label in sctp_init() after
> sctp_v4_protosw_init() has already registered the protosw. net/smc has the
> same shape:
>
> net/smc/smc_inet.c:smc_inet_init() {
> ...
> out_inet6_protosw:
> proto_unregister(&smc_inet6_prot);
> out_inet6_prot:
> inet_unregister_protosw(&smc_inet_protosw);
> proto_unregister(&smc_inet_prot);
> ...
> }
>
> Can the sequence the commit message describes still happen with that?
>
> CPU 0 inet_create CPU 1 modprobe sctp (mod->init)
> rcu_read_lock() sctp_v4_protosw_init() /* published */
> answer_prot = answer->prot
> try_module_get() /* COMING -> ok */
> rcu_read_unlock() /* later init step fails */
> sctp_v4_protosw_exit()
> inet_unregister_protosw()
> synchronize_net() /* returns at once */
> proto_unregister()
> kmem_cache_destroy(slab)
> WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab)
> sk_alloc() -> kmem_cache_alloc(stale)
>
> The kernel's own helper rejects exactly this state, which suggests a plain
> reference is not a lifetime guarantee during init:
>
> kernel/module/main.c:
> /*
> * We require a truly strong try_module_get(): 0 means success.
> * Otherwise an error is returned due to ongoing or failed
> * initialization etc.
> */
> static inline int strong_try_module_get(struct module *mod)
> {
> BUG_ON(mod && mod->state == MODULE_STATE_UNFORMED);
> if (mod && mod->state == MODULE_STATE_COMING)
> return -EBUSY;
>
> Would rejecting owners in MODULE_STATE_COMING (or taking a reference tied to
> the protosw/proto lifetime instead of the module refcount) close the residual
> window?
>
> > @@ -398,6 +402,8 @@ static int inet_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
> > if (err)
> > goto out_sk_release;
> > }
> > +out_module_put:
> > + module_put(answer_prot->owner);
> > out:
> > return err;
> > out_rcu_unlock:
>
> [Severity: High]
> On the same init-failure path, can module_put(answer_prot->owner) here read
> freed memory?
>
> answer_prot lives in the module's .data, and do_init_module() frees the module
> image without waiting for foreign references:
>
> kernel/module/main.c:do_init_module() {
> ...
> fail:
> /* Try to protect us from buggy refcounters. */
> mod->state = MODULE_STATE_GOING;
> synchronize_rcu();
> module_put(mod);
> ...
> free_module(mod);
> }
>
> That is unlike the delete_module() path, which does the refcount handshake in
> try_stop_module()/try_release_module_ref(). So after free_module() runs,
> both answer_prot->owner and the sock->ops pointer already stored above refer
> to freed module memory.
>
> [ ... ]
>
> > diff --git a/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c b/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
> > index 282912a119999..82b390ce3e0cd 100644
> > --- a/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
> > +++ b/net/ipv6/af_inet6.c
> > @@ -170,6 +170,10 @@ static int inet6_create(struct net *net, struct socket *sock, int protocol,
> > sock->ops = answer->ops;
> > answer_prot = answer->prot;
> > answer_flags = answer->flags;
> > + if (!try_module_get(answer_prot->owner)) {
> > + err = -EPROTONOSUPPORT;
> > + goto out_rcu_unlock;
> > + }
> > rcu_read_unlock();
> >
> > WARN_ON(!answer_prot->slab);
>
> [Severity: High]
> inet6_create() has the same exclusion, and it also dereferences the protosw
> after RCU is dropped:
>
> sk->sk_backlog_rcv = answer->prot->backlog_rcv;
>
> Does the COMING-module case above apply here too, given that sctp and smc
> register their IPv6 protosw during init and unwind through
> inet_unregister_protosw() + proto_unregister() on failure?
>
> [ ... ]
> --
> pw-bot: cr
Thanks, a v3 is sent to address both the problems.
Best regards,
Chengfeng
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 6+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2026-09-04 11:16 UTC | newest]
Thread overview: 6+ messages (download: mbox.gz follow: Atom feed
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2026-08-23 17:13 [PATCH net] net: pin protocol module before socket allocation Chengfeng Ye
2026-08-24 18:22 ` Kuniyuki Iwashima
2026-08-25 17:26 ` Chengfeng Ye
2026-08-25 17:23 ` [PATCH net v2] net: pin protocol module before inet " Chengfeng Ye
2026-08-30 23:57 ` Jakub Kicinski
2026-09-04 11:16 ` Chengfeng Ye
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