[PATCH] powerpc/pseries/papr-hvpipe: fix NULL dereference in handle creation

[PATCH] powerpc/pseries/papr-hvpipe: fix NULL dereference in handle creation

[Guangshuo Li]

papr_hvpipe_dev_create_handle() transfers ownership of src_info with
retain_and_null_ptr(src_info) after anon_inode_getfile() succeeds.
However, retain_and_null_ptr() clears src_info immediately, and the
function then still dereferences src_info in the subsequent list_add().

Store the transferred pointer in a separate variable and use that for
the list insertion.

Manually identified during code review.

Fixes: 6d3789d347a7af5c4b0b2da3af47b8d9da607ab2 ("papr-hvpipe: convert papr_hvpipe_dev_create_handle() to FD_PREPARE()")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Guangshuo Li <lgs201920130244@gmail.com>
---
 arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/papr-hvpipe.c | 5 +++--
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/papr-hvpipe.c b/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/papr-hvpipe.c
index 14ae480d060a..497eb967611b 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/papr-hvpipe.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/platforms/pseries/papr-hvpipe.c
@@ -480,6 +480,7 @@ static const struct file_operations papr_hvpipe_handle_ops = {
 static int papr_hvpipe_dev_create_handle(u32 srcID)
 {
 	struct hvpipe_source_info *src_info __free(kfree) = NULL;
+	struct hvpipe_source_info *owned_src_info;
 
 	spin_lock(&hvpipe_src_list_lock);
 	/*
@@ -509,7 +510,7 @@ static int papr_hvpipe_dev_create_handle(u32 srcID)
 	if (fdf.err)
 		return fdf.err;
 
-	retain_and_null_ptr(src_info);
+	owned_src_info = retain_and_null_ptr(src_info);
 	spin_lock(&hvpipe_src_list_lock);
 	/*
 	 * If two processes are executing ioctl() for the same
@@ -520,7 +521,7 @@ static int papr_hvpipe_dev_create_handle(u32 srcID)
 		spin_unlock(&hvpipe_src_list_lock);
 		return -EALREADY;
 	}
-	list_add(&src_info->list, &hvpipe_src_list);
+	list_add(&owned_src_info->list, &hvpipe_src_list);
 	spin_unlock(&hvpipe_src_list_lock);
 	return fd_publish(fdf);
 }
-- 
2.43.0

Re: [PATCH] powerpc/pseries/papr-hvpipe: fix NULL dereference in handle creation

[Greg KH]

On Mon, Apr 20, 2026 at 05:38:56PM +0800, Guangshuo Li wrote:
> papr_hvpipe_dev_create_handle() transfers ownership of src_info with
> retain_and_null_ptr(src_info) after anon_inode_getfile() succeeds.
> However, retain_and_null_ptr() clears src_info immediately, and the
> function then still dereferences src_info in the subsequent list_add().
> 
> Store the transferred pointer in a separate variable and use that for
> the list insertion.
> 
> Manually identified during code review.
> 
> Fixes: 6d3789d347a7af5c4b0b2da3af47b8d9da607ab2 ("papr-hvpipe: convert papr_hvpipe_dev_create_handle() to FD_PREPARE()")

Please use the proper notation here, as the documentation asks you to.

thanks,

greg k-h