Re: [PATCH 2/2] ipvs: Guard access of HK_TYPE_KTHREAD cpumask with RCU

[Waiman Long <longman@redhat.com>]

On 3/26/26 4:32 AM, Julian Anastasov wrote:
> 	Hello,
>
> On Tue, 24 Mar 2026, Waiman Long wrote:
>
>> The ip_vs_ctl.c file and the associated ip_vs.h file are the only places
>> in the kernel where HK_TYPE_KTHREAD cpumask is being retrieved and used.
>> Now that HK_TYPE_KTHREAD/HK_TYPE_DOMAIN cpumask can be changed at run
>> time. We need to use RCU to guard access to this cpumask to avoid a
>> potential UAF problem as the returned cpumask may be freed before it
>> is being used.
>>
>> Signed-off-by: Waiman Long <longman@redhat.com>
>> ---
>>   include/net/ip_vs.h            | 20 ++++++++++++++++----
>>   net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_ctl.c | 13 ++++++++-----
>>   2 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 9 deletions(-)
>>
>> diff --git a/include/net/ip_vs.h b/include/net/ip_vs.h
>> index 29a36709e7f3..17c85a575ef4 100644
>> --- a/include/net/ip_vs.h
>> +++ b/include/net/ip_vs.h
>> @@ -1155,7 +1155,7 @@ static inline int sysctl_run_estimation(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   	return ipvs->sysctl_run_estimation;
>>   }
>>   
>> -static inline const struct cpumask *sysctl_est_cpulist(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>> +static inline const struct cpumask *__sysctl_est_cpulist(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   {
>>   	if (ipvs->est_cpulist_valid)
>>   		return ipvs->sysctl_est_cpulist;
>> @@ -1273,7 +1273,7 @@ static inline int sysctl_run_estimation(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   	return 1;
>>   }
>>   
>> -static inline const struct cpumask *sysctl_est_cpulist(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>> +static inline const struct cpumask *__sysctl_est_cpulist(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   {
>>   	return housekeeping_cpumask(HK_TYPE_KTHREAD);
>>   }
>> @@ -1290,6 +1290,18 @@ static inline int sysctl_est_nice(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   
>>   #endif
>>   
> 	May be there is little fuzz here, due to the recent
> changes in the nf-next tree. If this is a bugfix due to the
> missing RCU protection, may be you should add Fixes line too
> and use the nf tree. Probably, there will be fuzz/collisions with
> the changes in the nf-next tree...
Thanks for the suggestion, I will rebase the patches on top of the 
nf-next tree.
>
>> +static inline bool sysctl_est_cpulist_empty(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>> +{
>> +	guard(rcu)();
>> +	return cpumask_empty(__sysctl_est_cpulist(ipvs));
>> +}
>> +
>> +static inline unsigned int sysctl_est_cpulist_weight(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>> +{
>> +	guard(rcu)();
>> +	return cpumask_weight(__sysctl_est_cpulist(ipvs));
>> +}
>> +
>>   /* IPVS core functions
>>    * (from ip_vs_core.c)
>>    */
>> @@ -1604,7 +1616,7 @@ static inline void ip_vs_est_stopped_recalc(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   	/* Stop tasks while cpulist is empty or if disabled with flag */
>>   	ipvs->est_stopped = !sysctl_run_estimation(ipvs) ||
>>   			    (ipvs->est_cpulist_valid &&
>> -			     cpumask_empty(sysctl_est_cpulist(ipvs)));
>> +			     sysctl_est_cpulist_empty(ipvs));
>>   #endif
>>   }
>>   
>> @@ -1620,7 +1632,7 @@ static inline bool ip_vs_est_stopped(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   static inline int ip_vs_est_max_threads(struct netns_ipvs *ipvs)
>>   {
>>   	unsigned int limit = IPVS_EST_CPU_KTHREADS *
>> -			     cpumask_weight(sysctl_est_cpulist(ipvs));
>> +			     sysctl_est_cpulist_weight(ipvs);
>>   
>>   	return max(1U, limit);
>>   }
>> diff --git a/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_ctl.c b/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_ctl.c
>> index 35642de2a0fe..f38a2e2a9dc5 100644
>> --- a/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_ctl.c
>> +++ b/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_ctl.c
>> @@ -1973,11 +1973,14 @@ static int ipvs_proc_est_cpumask_get(const struct ctl_table *table,
>>   
>>   	mutex_lock(&ipvs->est_mutex);
>>   
>> -	if (ipvs->est_cpulist_valid)
>> -		mask = *valp;
>> -	else
>> -		mask = (struct cpumask *)housekeeping_cpumask(HK_TYPE_KTHREAD);
>> -	ret = scnprintf(buffer, size, "%*pbl\n", cpumask_pr_args(mask));
>> +	/* HK_TYPE_KTHREAD cpumask needs RCU protection */
> 	Can we switch IPVS to use HK_TYPE_DOMAIN? The initial
> intention was to follow the code in kthread.c. Then you can
> reconsider if HK_TYPE_KTHREAD should be alias to HK_TYPE_DOMAIN,
> may be not if there are no other users...

Yes, I can certainly switch to use HK_TYPE_DOMAIN instead. The reason I 
keep HK_TYPE_KTHREAD is that it may not be obvious to others that 
kthread is now following the HK_TYPE_DOMAIN cpumask, 
keeping  HK_TYPE_KTHREAD but making it an alias can make that clear.


>> +	scoped_guard(rcu) {
>> +		if (ipvs->est_cpulist_valid)
>> +			mask = *valp;
>> +		else
>> +			mask = (struct cpumask *)housekeeping_cpumask(HK_TYPE_KTHREAD);
>> +		ret = scnprintf(buffer, size, "%*pbl\n", cpumask_pr_args(mask));
>> +	}
>>   
>>   	mutex_unlock(&ipvs->est_mutex);
>>   
>> -- 
>> 2.53.0
> Regards
>
> --
> Julian Anastasov <ja@ssi.bg>
>