From: Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>
To: stable@vger.kernel.org
Cc: Yuan Chen <chenyuan@kylinos.cn>,
"Masami Hiramatsu (Google)" <mhiramat@kernel.org>,
Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>
Subject: [PATCH 5.4.y] tracing: Fix race condition in kprobe initialization causing NULL pointer dereference
Date: Tue, 14 Oct 2025 09:00:26 -0400 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20251014130026.12319-1-sashal@kernel.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <2025101331-mulled-pueblo-7ac2@gregkh>
From: Yuan Chen <chenyuan@kylinos.cn>
[ Upstream commit 9cf9aa7b0acfde7545c1a1d912576e9bab28dc6f ]
There is a critical race condition in kprobe initialization that can lead to
NULL pointer dereference and kernel crash.
[1135630.084782] Unable to handle kernel paging request at virtual address 0000710a04630000
...
[1135630.260314] pstate: 404003c9 (nZcv DAIF +PAN -UAO)
[1135630.269239] pc : kprobe_perf_func+0x30/0x260
[1135630.277643] lr : kprobe_dispatcher+0x44/0x60
[1135630.286041] sp : ffffaeff4977fa40
[1135630.293441] x29: ffffaeff4977fa40 x28: ffffaf015340e400
[1135630.302837] x27: 0000000000000000 x26: 0000000000000000
[1135630.312257] x25: ffffaf029ed108a8 x24: ffffaf015340e528
[1135630.321705] x23: ffffaeff4977fc50 x22: ffffaeff4977fc50
[1135630.331154] x21: 0000000000000000 x20: ffffaeff4977fc50
[1135630.340586] x19: ffffaf015340e400 x18: 0000000000000000
[1135630.349985] x17: 0000000000000000 x16: 0000000000000000
[1135630.359285] x15: 0000000000000000 x14: 0000000000000000
[1135630.368445] x13: 0000000000000000 x12: 0000000000000000
[1135630.377473] x11: 0000000000000000 x10: 0000000000000000
[1135630.386411] x9 : 0000000000000000 x8 : 0000000000000000
[1135630.395252] x7 : 0000000000000000 x6 : 0000000000000000
[1135630.403963] x5 : 0000000000000000 x4 : 0000000000000000
[1135630.412545] x3 : 0000710a04630000 x2 : 0000000000000006
[1135630.421021] x1 : ffffaeff4977fc50 x0 : 0000710a04630000
[1135630.429410] Call trace:
[1135630.434828] kprobe_perf_func+0x30/0x260
[1135630.441661] kprobe_dispatcher+0x44/0x60
[1135630.448396] aggr_pre_handler+0x70/0xc8
[1135630.454959] kprobe_breakpoint_handler+0x140/0x1e0
[1135630.462435] brk_handler+0xbc/0xd8
[1135630.468437] do_debug_exception+0x84/0x138
[1135630.475074] el1_dbg+0x18/0x8c
[1135630.480582] security_file_permission+0x0/0xd0
[1135630.487426] vfs_write+0x70/0x1c0
[1135630.493059] ksys_write+0x5c/0xc8
[1135630.498638] __arm64_sys_write+0x24/0x30
[1135630.504821] el0_svc_common+0x78/0x130
[1135630.510838] el0_svc_handler+0x38/0x78
[1135630.516834] el0_svc+0x8/0x1b0
kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c: 1308
0xffff3df8995039ec <kprobe_perf_func+0x2c>: ldr x21, [x24,#120]
include/linux/compiler.h: 294
0xffff3df8995039f0 <kprobe_perf_func+0x30>: ldr x1, [x21,x0]
kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c
1308: head = this_cpu_ptr(call->perf_events);
1309: if (hlist_empty(head))
1310: return 0;
crash> struct trace_event_call -o
struct trace_event_call {
...
[120] struct hlist_head *perf_events; //(call->perf_event)
...
}
crash> struct trace_event_call ffffaf015340e528
struct trace_event_call {
...
perf_events = 0xffff0ad5fa89f088, //this value is correct, but x21 = 0
...
}
Race Condition Analysis:
The race occurs between kprobe activation and perf_events initialization:
CPU0 CPU1
==== ====
perf_kprobe_init
perf_trace_event_init
tp_event->perf_events = list;(1)
tp_event->class->reg (2)← KPROBE ACTIVE
Debug exception triggers
...
kprobe_dispatcher
kprobe_perf_func (tk->tp.flags & TP_FLAG_PROFILE)
head = this_cpu_ptr(call->perf_events)(3)
(perf_events is still NULL)
Problem:
1. CPU0 executes (1) assigning tp_event->perf_events = list
2. CPU0 executes (2) enabling kprobe functionality via class->reg()
3. CPU1 triggers and reaches kprobe_dispatcher
4. CPU1 checks TP_FLAG_PROFILE - condition passes (step 2 completed)
5. CPU1 calls kprobe_perf_func() and crashes at (3) because
call->perf_events is still NULL
CPU1 sees that kprobe functionality is enabled but does not see that
perf_events has been assigned.
Add pairing read and write memory barriers to guarantee that if CPU1
sees that kprobe functionality is enabled, it must also see that
perf_events has been assigned.
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20251001022025.44626-1-chenyuan_fl@163.com/
Fixes: 50d780560785 ("tracing/kprobes: Add probe handler dispatcher to support perf and ftrace concurrent use")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Yuan Chen <chenyuan@kylinos.cn>
Signed-off-by: Masami Hiramatsu (Google) <mhiramat@kernel.org>
[ Dropped ftrace changes + context ]
Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <sashal@kernel.org>
---
kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c | 11 +++++++----
kernel/trace/trace_probe.h | 9 +++++++--
kernel/trace/trace_uprobe.c | 12 ++++++++----
3 files changed, 22 insertions(+), 10 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c b/kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c
index 56d22752a52e3..01a9fc7279c6c 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_kprobe.c
@@ -1585,14 +1585,15 @@ static int kprobe_register(struct trace_event_call *event,
static int kprobe_dispatcher(struct kprobe *kp, struct pt_regs *regs)
{
struct trace_kprobe *tk = container_of(kp, struct trace_kprobe, rp.kp);
+ unsigned int flags = trace_probe_load_flag(&tk->tp);
int ret = 0;
raw_cpu_inc(*tk->nhit);
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tk->tp, TP_FLAG_TRACE))
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_TRACE)
kprobe_trace_func(tk, regs);
#ifdef CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tk->tp, TP_FLAG_PROFILE))
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_PROFILE)
ret = kprobe_perf_func(tk, regs);
#endif
return ret;
@@ -1603,13 +1604,15 @@ static int
kretprobe_dispatcher(struct kretprobe_instance *ri, struct pt_regs *regs)
{
struct trace_kprobe *tk = container_of(ri->rp, struct trace_kprobe, rp);
+ unsigned int flags;
raw_cpu_inc(*tk->nhit);
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tk->tp, TP_FLAG_TRACE))
+ flags = trace_probe_load_flag(&tk->tp);
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_TRACE)
kretprobe_trace_func(tk, ri, regs);
#ifdef CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tk->tp, TP_FLAG_PROFILE))
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_PROFILE)
kretprobe_perf_func(tk, ri, regs);
#endif
return 0; /* We don't tweek kernel, so just return 0 */
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h b/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h
index edbb1624061ed..15c9ef34a611e 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_probe.h
@@ -252,16 +252,21 @@ struct event_file_link {
struct list_head list;
};
+static inline unsigned int trace_probe_load_flag(struct trace_probe *tp)
+{
+ return smp_load_acquire(&tp->event->flags);
+}
+
static inline bool trace_probe_test_flag(struct trace_probe *tp,
unsigned int flag)
{
- return !!(tp->event->flags & flag);
+ return !!(trace_probe_load_flag(tp) & flag);
}
static inline void trace_probe_set_flag(struct trace_probe *tp,
unsigned int flag)
{
- tp->event->flags |= flag;
+ smp_store_release(&tp->event->flags, tp->event->flags | flag);
}
static inline void trace_probe_clear_flag(struct trace_probe *tp,
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_uprobe.c b/kernel/trace/trace_uprobe.c
index e924c04af627e..4f844df6ee000 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_uprobe.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_uprobe.c
@@ -1465,6 +1465,7 @@ static int uprobe_dispatcher(struct uprobe_consumer *con, struct pt_regs *regs)
struct uprobe_dispatch_data udd;
struct uprobe_cpu_buffer *ucb;
int dsize, esize;
+ unsigned int flags;
int ret = 0;
@@ -1485,11 +1486,12 @@ static int uprobe_dispatcher(struct uprobe_consumer *con, struct pt_regs *regs)
ucb = uprobe_buffer_get();
store_trace_args(ucb->buf, &tu->tp, regs, esize, dsize);
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tu->tp, TP_FLAG_TRACE))
+ flags = trace_probe_load_flag(&tu->tp);
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_TRACE)
ret |= uprobe_trace_func(tu, regs, ucb, dsize);
#ifdef CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tu->tp, TP_FLAG_PROFILE))
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_PROFILE)
ret |= uprobe_perf_func(tu, regs, ucb, dsize);
#endif
uprobe_buffer_put(ucb);
@@ -1503,6 +1505,7 @@ static int uretprobe_dispatcher(struct uprobe_consumer *con,
struct uprobe_dispatch_data udd;
struct uprobe_cpu_buffer *ucb;
int dsize, esize;
+ unsigned int flags;
tu = container_of(con, struct trace_uprobe, consumer);
@@ -1520,11 +1523,12 @@ static int uretprobe_dispatcher(struct uprobe_consumer *con,
ucb = uprobe_buffer_get();
store_trace_args(ucb->buf, &tu->tp, regs, esize, dsize);
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tu->tp, TP_FLAG_TRACE))
+ flags = trace_probe_load_flag(&tu->tp);
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_TRACE)
uretprobe_trace_func(tu, func, regs, ucb, dsize);
#ifdef CONFIG_PERF_EVENTS
- if (trace_probe_test_flag(&tu->tp, TP_FLAG_PROFILE))
+ if (flags & TP_FLAG_PROFILE)
uretprobe_perf_func(tu, func, regs, ucb, dsize);
#endif
uprobe_buffer_put(ucb);
--
2.51.0
prev parent reply other threads:[~2025-10-14 13:00 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 2+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-10-13 8:26 FAILED: patch "[PATCH] tracing: Fix race condition in kprobe initialization causing" failed to apply to 5.4-stable tree gregkh
2025-10-14 13:00 ` Sasha Levin [this message]
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