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From: Pavitra Jha <jhapavitra98@gmail.com>
To: antonio@openvpn.net
Cc: sd@queasysnail.net, andrew+netdev@lunn.ch, davem@davemloft.net,
	edumazet@google.com, kuba@kernel.org, pabeni@redhat.com,
	netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
	stable@vger.kernel.org, Pavitra Jha <jhapavitra98@gmail.com>
Subject: [PATCH v2] ovpn: fix peer refcount leak in TCP error paths
Date: Fri, 22 May 2026 05:17:17 -0400	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20260522091718.270956-1-jhapavitra98@gmail.com> (raw)

When either the TCP RX or TX error path calls ovpn_peer_hold() followed
by schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work), and the work item is already
pending from the other path, schedule_work() returns false and the work
runs only once. Since ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work() calls ovpn_peer_put()
exactly once, the extra reference taken by the losing path is never
dropped, leaking the peer object.

The race window:

  CPU0 (strparser/RX error):       CPU1 (tcp_tx_work/TX error):
  ovpn_peer_hold()   <- refcnt+1   ovpn_peer_hold()   <- refcnt+2
  schedule_work()    <- queued      schedule_work()    <- NO-OP
                                    (work already pending)
  ovpn_tcp_peer_del_work runs:
    ovpn_peer_del()
    ovpn_peer_put()  <- refcnt+1
                                   <- peer never freed

Fix by checking the return value of schedule_work() in both paths and
calling ovpn_peer_put() to drop the extra reference if the work was
already pending. ovpn_peer_hold() is kept unconditional in the TX path
as it cannot fail at that point.

Fixes: a6a5e87b3ee4 ("ovpn: avoid sleep in atomic context in TCP RX error path")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Pavitra Jha <jhapavitra98@gmail.com>
---
Changes since v1:
  - TX path: keep ovpn_peer_hold() unconditional per Antonio Quartulli's
    review; only check schedule_work() return value
  - Link: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20260521083739.65061-1-jhapavitra98@gmail.com/
---
 drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c | 6 +++---
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c b/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c
index d651ce85c..2c7d830e7 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ovpn/tcp.c
@@ -283,9 +283,9 @@ static void ovpn_tcp_send_sock(struct ovpn_peer *peer, struct sock *sk)
 			/* in case of TCP error we can't recover the VPN
 			 * stream therefore we abort the connection
 			 */
-			if (ovpn_peer_hold(peer))
-				if (!schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work))
-					ovpn_peer_put(peer);
+			ovpn_peer_hold(peer);
+			if (!schedule_work(&peer->tcp.defer_del_work))
+				ovpn_peer_put(peer);
 
 			/* we bail out immediately and keep tx_in_progress set
 			 * to true. This way we prevent more TX attempts
-- 
2.53.0


             reply	other threads:[~2026-05-22  9:17 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 2+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-05-22  9:17 Pavitra Jha [this message]
2026-05-22  9:21 ` Antonio Quartulli

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