* [PATCH security v1] apparmor: fix a use-after-free in aa_lookupn_ns()
@ 2026-09-23 5:46 Binbin Deng
2026-10-27 21:53 ` John Johansen
2026-10-27 21:54 ` John Johansen
0 siblings, 2 replies; 4+ messages in thread
From: Binbin Deng @ 2026-09-23 5:46 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: john.johansen, georgia.garcia, paul, jmorris, serge
Cc: ryan.lee, cengiz.can, apparmor, linux-security-module,
linux-kernel, Binbin Deng
aa_lookupn_ns() takes a reference on the namespace it finds with
aa_get_ns(),which is kref_get() on the reference count that the
namespace is released through, without checking whether the namespace
is still in use. A concurrent removal of a ":"-prefixed namespace
looks the same namespace up and only then takes the parent lock to
remove it, so the last reference can be dropped between the lookup and
the aa_get_ns() call: the reference count then reports the increment on
a zero count and the kernel classifies the following use of the object
as a use-after-free. A user with CAP_MAC_ADMIN can trigger this by
writing a ":<name>" removal and a ":<name>/<profile>" removal to
/sys/kernel/security/apparmor/.remove concurrently.
refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.
WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25 at refcount_warn_saturate+0xc0/0xe0, CPU#6
Call Trace:
<TASK>
aa_lookupn_ns+0xa9/0xc0
aa_remove_profiles+0x4fb/0x730
? __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x219/0x5c0
? __pfx_aa_remove_profiles+0x10/0x10
? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x65/0x1f0
? _copy_from_user+0x2d/0x80
? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x111/0x1f0
profile_remove+0x2ee/0x4a0
vfs_write+0x21e/0xcf0
? rcu_core+0x29c/0x1740
? timerqueue_linked_add+0x1f4/0x3d0
? __pfx_vfs_write+0x10/0x10
? mutex_lock+0x81/0xe0
? __pfx_mutex_lock+0x10/0x10
? __pfx_rcu_core+0x10/0x10
? __pfx_hrtimer_update_next_event+0x10/0x10
? mutex_unlock+0x7b/0xd0
? fdget_pos+0x24d/0x4b0
ksys_write+0xf7/0x1c0
? __pfx_ksys_write+0x10/0x10
? restore_fpregs_from_fpstate+0x37/0xc0
do_syscall_64+0xf9/0x540
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
</TASK>
Fix by rejecting a namespace whose reference count.
Fixes: 3664268f19ea0 ("apparmor: add namespace lookup fns()")
Signed-off-by: Binbin Deng <18983559317@163.com>
---
security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h | 16 ++++++++++++++++
security/apparmor/policy_ns.c | 2 +-
2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
index cc6e84151812..4f8359875476 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
+++ b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
@@ -117,6 +117,22 @@ static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns(struct aa_ns *ns)
return ns;
}
+/**
+ * aa_get_ns_not0 - increment references count on @ns found via lookup
+ * @ns: namespace to increment reference count of (MAYBE NULL)
+ *
+ * Returns: pointer to @ns, if @ns is NULL returns NULL,
+ * NULL if @ns is being freed
+ * Requires: @ns must be held with valid refcount when called
+ */
+static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns_not0(struct aa_ns *ns)
+{
+ if (ns && aa_get_profile_not0(ns->unconfined))
+ return ns;
+
+ return NULL;
+}
+
/**
* aa_put_ns - decrement refcount on @ns
* @ns: namespace to put reference of
diff --git a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
index 5a907a875d8f..ae9168c1a85e 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
+++ b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ struct aa_ns *aa_lookupn_ns(struct aa_ns *view, const char *name, size_t n)
struct aa_ns *ns = NULL;
rcu_read_lock();
- ns = aa_get_ns(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
+ ns = aa_get_ns_not0(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
rcu_read_unlock();
return ns;
--
2.43.0
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH security v1] apparmor: fix a use-after-free in aa_lookupn_ns()
2026-09-23 5:46 [PATCH security v1] apparmor: fix a use-after-free in aa_lookupn_ns() Binbin Deng
@ 2026-10-27 21:53 ` John Johansen
2026-10-27 21:54 ` John Johansen
1 sibling, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread
From: John Johansen @ 2026-10-27 21:53 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Binbin Deng, georgia.garcia, paul, jmorris, serge
Cc: ryan.lee, cengiz.can, apparmor, linux-security-module, linux-kernel
On 9/22/26 22:46, Binbin Deng wrote:
> aa_lookupn_ns() takes a reference on the namespace it finds with
> aa_get_ns(),which is kref_get() on the reference count that the
> namespace is released through, without checking whether the namespace
> is still in use. A concurrent removal of a ":"-prefixed namespace
> looks the same namespace up and only then takes the parent lock to
> remove it, so the last reference can be dropped between the lookup and
> the aa_get_ns() call: the reference count then reports the increment on
> a zero count and the kernel classifies the following use of the object
> as a use-after-free. A user with CAP_MAC_ADMIN can trigger this by
> writing a ":<name>" removal and a ":<name>/<profile>" removal to
> /sys/kernel/security/apparmor/.remove concurrently.
>
> refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.
> WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25 at refcount_warn_saturate+0xc0/0xe0, CPU#6
> Call Trace:
> <TASK>
> aa_lookupn_ns+0xa9/0xc0
> aa_remove_profiles+0x4fb/0x730
> ? __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x219/0x5c0
> ? __pfx_aa_remove_profiles+0x10/0x10
> ? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x65/0x1f0
> ? _copy_from_user+0x2d/0x80
> ? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x111/0x1f0
> profile_remove+0x2ee/0x4a0
> vfs_write+0x21e/0xcf0
> ? rcu_core+0x29c/0x1740
> ? timerqueue_linked_add+0x1f4/0x3d0
> ? __pfx_vfs_write+0x10/0x10
> ? mutex_lock+0x81/0xe0
> ? __pfx_mutex_lock+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_rcu_core+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_hrtimer_update_next_event+0x10/0x10
> ? mutex_unlock+0x7b/0xd0
> ? fdget_pos+0x24d/0x4b0
> ksys_write+0xf7/0x1c0
> ? __pfx_ksys_write+0x10/0x10
> ? restore_fpregs_from_fpstate+0x37/0xc0
> do_syscall_64+0xf9/0x540
> entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
> </TASK>
>
> Fix by rejecting a namespace whose reference count.
>
> Fixes: 3664268f19ea0 ("apparmor: add namespace lookup fns()")
> Signed-off-by: Binbin Deng <18983559317@163.com>
Acked-by: John Johansen <john.johansen@canonical.com>
> ---
> security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h | 16 ++++++++++++++++
> security/apparmor/policy_ns.c | 2 +-
> 2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
> index cc6e84151812..4f8359875476 100644
> --- a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
> +++ b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
> @@ -117,6 +117,22 @@ static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns(struct aa_ns *ns)
> return ns;
> }
>
> +/**
> + * aa_get_ns_not0 - increment references count on @ns found via lookup
> + * @ns: namespace to increment reference count of (MAYBE NULL)
> + *
> + * Returns: pointer to @ns, if @ns is NULL returns NULL,
> + * NULL if @ns is being freed
> + * Requires: @ns must be held with valid refcount when called
> + */
> +static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns_not0(struct aa_ns *ns)
> +{
> + if (ns && aa_get_profile_not0(ns->unconfined))
> + return ns;
> +
> + return NULL;
> +}
> +
> /**
> * aa_put_ns - decrement refcount on @ns
> * @ns: namespace to put reference of
> diff --git a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
> index 5a907a875d8f..ae9168c1a85e 100644
> --- a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
> +++ b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
> @@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ struct aa_ns *aa_lookupn_ns(struct aa_ns *view, const char *name, size_t n)
> struct aa_ns *ns = NULL;
>
> rcu_read_lock();
> - ns = aa_get_ns(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
> + ns = aa_get_ns_not0(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
> rcu_read_unlock();
>
> return ns;
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH security v1] apparmor: fix a use-after-free in aa_lookupn_ns()
2026-09-23 5:46 [PATCH security v1] apparmor: fix a use-after-free in aa_lookupn_ns() Binbin Deng
2026-10-27 21:53 ` John Johansen
@ 2026-10-27 21:54 ` John Johansen
1 sibling, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread
From: John Johansen @ 2026-10-27 21:54 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Binbin Deng, georgia.garcia, paul, jmorris, serge
Cc: ryan.lee, cengiz.can, apparmor, linux-security-module, linux-kernel
On 9/22/26 22:46, Binbin Deng wrote:
> aa_lookupn_ns() takes a reference on the namespace it finds with
> aa_get_ns(),which is kref_get() on the reference count that the
> namespace is released through, without checking whether the namespace
> is still in use. A concurrent removal of a ":"-prefixed namespace
> looks the same namespace up and only then takes the parent lock to
> remove it, so the last reference can be dropped between the lookup and
> the aa_get_ns() call: the reference count then reports the increment on
> a zero count and the kernel classifies the following use of the object
> as a use-after-free. A user with CAP_MAC_ADMIN can trigger this by
> writing a ":<name>" removal and a ":<name>/<profile>" removal to
> /sys/kernel/security/apparmor/.remove concurrently.
>
> refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.
> WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25 at refcount_warn_saturate+0xc0/0xe0, CPU#6
> Call Trace:
> <TASK>
> aa_lookupn_ns+0xa9/0xc0
> aa_remove_profiles+0x4fb/0x730
> ? __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x219/0x5c0
> ? __pfx_aa_remove_profiles+0x10/0x10
> ? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x65/0x1f0
> ? _copy_from_user+0x2d/0x80
> ? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x111/0x1f0
> profile_remove+0x2ee/0x4a0
> vfs_write+0x21e/0xcf0
> ? rcu_core+0x29c/0x1740
> ? timerqueue_linked_add+0x1f4/0x3d0
> ? __pfx_vfs_write+0x10/0x10
> ? mutex_lock+0x81/0xe0
> ? __pfx_mutex_lock+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_rcu_core+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_hrtimer_update_next_event+0x10/0x10
> ? mutex_unlock+0x7b/0xd0
> ? fdget_pos+0x24d/0x4b0
> ksys_write+0xf7/0x1c0
> ? __pfx_ksys_write+0x10/0x10
> ? restore_fpregs_from_fpstate+0x37/0xc0
> do_syscall_64+0xf9/0x540
> entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
> </TASK>
>
> Fix by rejecting a namespace whose reference count.
>
> Fixes: 3664268f19ea0 ("apparmor: add namespace lookup fns()")
> Signed-off-by: Binbin Deng <18983559317@163.com>
I have pulled this into the apparmor tree
> ---
> security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h | 16 ++++++++++++++++
> security/apparmor/policy_ns.c | 2 +-
> 2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
> index cc6e84151812..4f8359875476 100644
> --- a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
> +++ b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
> @@ -117,6 +117,22 @@ static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns(struct aa_ns *ns)
> return ns;
> }
>
> +/**
> + * aa_get_ns_not0 - increment references count on @ns found via lookup
> + * @ns: namespace to increment reference count of (MAYBE NULL)
> + *
> + * Returns: pointer to @ns, if @ns is NULL returns NULL,
> + * NULL if @ns is being freed
> + * Requires: @ns must be held with valid refcount when called
> + */
> +static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns_not0(struct aa_ns *ns)
> +{
> + if (ns && aa_get_profile_not0(ns->unconfined))
> + return ns;
> +
> + return NULL;
> +}
> +
> /**
> * aa_put_ns - decrement refcount on @ns
> * @ns: namespace to put reference of
> diff --git a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
> index 5a907a875d8f..ae9168c1a85e 100644
> --- a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
> +++ b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
> @@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ struct aa_ns *aa_lookupn_ns(struct aa_ns *view, const char *name, size_t n)
> struct aa_ns *ns = NULL;
>
> rcu_read_lock();
> - ns = aa_get_ns(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
> + ns = aa_get_ns_not0(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
> rcu_read_unlock();
>
> return ns;
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
* [PATCH security v1] apparmor: fix a use-after-free in aa_lookupn_ns()
@ 2026-09-26 4:47 Binbin Deng
0 siblings, 0 replies; 4+ messages in thread
From: Binbin Deng @ 2026-09-26 4:47 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: john.johansen, georgia.garcia, paul, jmorris, serge
Cc: ryan.lee, cengiz.can, linux-security-module, linux-kernel, Binbin Deng
aa_lookupn_ns() takes a reference on the namespace it finds with
aa_get_ns(),which is kref_get() on the reference count that the
namespace is released through, without checking whether the namespace
is still in use. A concurrent removal of a ":"-prefixed namespace
looks the same namespace up and only then takes the parent lock to
remove it, so the last reference can be dropped between the lookup and
the aa_get_ns() call: the reference count then reports the increment on
a zero count and the kernel classifies the following use of the object
as a use-after-free. A user with CAP_MAC_ADMIN can trigger this by
writing a ":<name>" removal and a ":<name>/<profile>" removal to
/sys/kernel/security/apparmor/.remove concurrently.
refcount_t: addition on 0; use-after-free.
WARNING: lib/refcount.c:25 at refcount_warn_saturate+0xc0/0xe0, CPU#6
Call Trace:
<TASK>
aa_lookupn_ns+0xa9/0xc0
aa_remove_profiles+0x4fb/0x730
? __kvmalloc_node_noprof+0x219/0x5c0
? __pfx_aa_remove_profiles+0x10/0x10
? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x65/0x1f0
? _copy_from_user+0x2d/0x80
? aa_loaddata_alloc+0x111/0x1f0
profile_remove+0x2ee/0x4a0
vfs_write+0x21e/0xcf0
? rcu_core+0x29c/0x1740
? timerqueue_linked_add+0x1f4/0x3d0
? __pfx_vfs_write+0x10/0x10
? mutex_lock+0x81/0xe0
? __pfx_mutex_lock+0x10/0x10
? __pfx_rcu_core+0x10/0x10
? __pfx_hrtimer_update_next_event+0x10/0x10
? mutex_unlock+0x7b/0xd0
? fdget_pos+0x24d/0x4b0
ksys_write+0xf7/0x1c0
? __pfx_ksys_write+0x10/0x10
? restore_fpregs_from_fpstate+0x37/0xc0
do_syscall_64+0xf9/0x540
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
</TASK>
Fix by rejecting a namespace whose reference count.
Fixes: 3664268f19ea0 ("apparmor: add namespace lookup fns()")
Signed-off-by: Binbin Deng <18983559317@163.com>
---
security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h | 16 ++++++++++++++++
security/apparmor/policy_ns.c | 2 +-
2 files changed, 17 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
diff --git a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
index cc6e84151812..4f8359875476 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
+++ b/security/apparmor/include/policy_ns.h
@@ -117,6 +117,22 @@ static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns(struct aa_ns *ns)
return ns;
}
+/**
+ * aa_get_ns_not0 - increment references count on @ns found via lookup
+ * @ns: namespace to increment reference count of (MAYBE NULL)
+ *
+ * Returns: pointer to @ns, if @ns is NULL returns NULL,
+ * NULL if @ns is being freed
+ * Requires: @ns must be held with valid refcount when called
+ */
+static inline struct aa_ns *aa_get_ns_not0(struct aa_ns *ns)
+{
+ if (ns && aa_get_profile_not0(ns->unconfined))
+ return ns;
+
+ return NULL;
+}
+
/**
* aa_put_ns - decrement refcount on @ns
* @ns: namespace to put reference of
diff --git a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
index 5a907a875d8f..ae9168c1a85e 100644
--- a/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
+++ b/security/apparmor/policy_ns.c
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ struct aa_ns *aa_lookupn_ns(struct aa_ns *view, const char *name, size_t n)
struct aa_ns *ns = NULL;
rcu_read_lock();
- ns = aa_get_ns(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
+ ns = aa_get_ns_not0(__aa_lookupn_ns(view, name, n));
rcu_read_unlock();
return ns;
--
2.43.0
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 4+ messages in thread
end of thread, other threads:[~2026-10-27 21:54 UTC | newest]
Thread overview: 4+ messages (download: mbox.gz / follow: Atom feed)
-- links below jump to the message on this page --
2026-09-23 5:46 [PATCH security v1] apparmor: fix a use-after-free in aa_lookupn_ns() Binbin Deng
2026-10-27 21:53 ` John Johansen
2026-10-27 21:54 ` John Johansen
2026-09-26 4:47 Binbin Deng
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