Re: [PATCH net-next] ipv6: clean up routes when manually removing address with a lifetime

[Ido Schimmel <idosch@nvidia.com>]

On Tue, Nov 11, 2025 at 02:10:33PM -0800, Jakub Kicinski wrote:
> When an IPv6 address with a finite lifetime (configured with valid_lft
> and preferred_lft) is manually deleted, the kernel does not clean up the
> associated prefix route. This results in orphaned routes (marked "proto
> kernel") remaining in the routing table even after their corresponding
> address has been deleted.
> 
> This is particularly problematic on networks using combination of SLAAC
> and bridges.
> 
> 1. Machine comes up and performs RA on eth0.
> 2. User creates a bridge
>    - does an ip -6 addr flush dev eth0;
>    - adds the eth0 under the bridge.
> 3. SLAAC happens on br0.
> 
> Even tho the address has "moved" to br0 there will still be a route
> pointing to eth0, but eth0 is not usable for IP any more.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Jakub Kicinski <kuba@kernel.org>
> ---
> Bit of a risky change.. Is there a reason why we're not flushing
> the expiring routes or this is just "historic"?

Couldn't find a reason. Makes sense to delete the prefix route if it's
not required by any address on the interface.

See one comment below regarding the test.

> 
> CC: idosch@nvidia.com
> CC: dsahern@kernel.org
> ---
>  net/ipv6/addrconf.c                      |  2 +-
>  tools/testing/selftests/net/rtnetlink.sh | 20 ++++++++++++++++++++
>  2 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
> index 40e9c336f6c5..b66217d1b2f8 100644
> --- a/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
> +++ b/net/ipv6/addrconf.c
> @@ -1324,7 +1324,7 @@ static void ipv6_del_addr(struct inet6_ifaddr *ifp)
>  		__in6_ifa_put(ifp);
>  	}
>  
> -	if (ifp->flags & IFA_F_PERMANENT && !(ifp->flags & IFA_F_NOPREFIXROUTE))
> +	if (!(ifp->flags & IFA_F_NOPREFIXROUTE))
>  		action = check_cleanup_prefix_route(ifp, &expires);
>  
>  	list_del_rcu(&ifp->if_list);
> diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rtnetlink.sh b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rtnetlink.sh
> index 163a084d525d..a915da19a715 100755
> --- a/tools/testing/selftests/net/rtnetlink.sh
> +++ b/tools/testing/selftests/net/rtnetlink.sh
> @@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ ALL_TESTS="
>  	kci_test_polrouting
>  	kci_test_route_get
>  	kci_test_addrlft
> +	kci_test_addrlft_route_cleanup
>  	kci_test_promote_secondaries
>  	kci_test_tc
>  	kci_test_gre
> @@ -323,6 +324,25 @@ kci_test_addrlft()
>  	end_test "PASS: preferred_lft addresses have expired"
>  }
>  
> +kci_test_addrlft_route_cleanup()
> +{
> +	local ret=0
> +	local test_addr="2001:db8:99::1/64"
> +	local test_prefix="2001:db8:99::/64"
> +
> +	run_cmd ip -6 addr add $test_addr dev "$devdummy" valid_lft 300 preferred_lft 300
> +	run_cmd_grep "$test_prefix dev $devdummy proto kernel" ip -6 route show dev "$devdummy"

I believe you meant:

run_cmd_grep "$test_prefix proto kernel" ip -6 route show dev "$devdummy"

(iproute2 does not print "dev" if you filtered on "dev")

> +	run_cmd ip -6 addr del $test_addr dev "$devdummy"
> +	run_cmd_grep_fail "$test_prefix" ip -6 route show dev "$devdummy"
> +
> +	if [ $ret -ne 0 ]; then
> +		end_test "FAIL: route not cleaned up when address with valid_lft deleted"
> +		return 1
> +	fi
> +
> +	end_test "PASS: route cleaned up when address with valid_lft deleted"
> +}
> +
>  kci_test_promote_secondaries()
>  {
>  	run_cmd ifconfig "$devdummy"
> -- 
> 2.51.1
>