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From: Aaron Tomlin <atomlin@atomlin.com>
To: mcgrof@kernel.org, petr.pavlu@suse.com, da.gomez@kernel.org,
	samitolvanen@google.com
Cc: atomlin@atomlin.com, linux-modules@vger.kernel.org,
	linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
Subject: [PATCH] module: Fix use-after-free in module_put() tracepoint
Date: Sun, 18 Oct 2026 23:48:57 -0400	[thread overview]
Message-ID: <20261019034857.654569-1-atomlin@atomlin.com> (raw)

A use-after-free condition can arise in module_put() should a thread be
preempted immediately after decrementing the module's reference count
while the module is concurrently being unloaded.

In module_put(), the module's reference count is decremented via
atomic_dec_if_positive() before the module pointer is passed to
trace_module_put(). Consider a scenario where CPU 0 decrements the
reference count without reaching the baseline MODULE_REF_BASE level and
is immediately preempted: it relinquishes its reference while still
retaining a local pointer to the module. If a concurrent CPU 1
subsequently drops the final active reference, the module's reference
count reaches MODULE_REF_BASE. This permits the module unload sequence
(via delete_module() or the initialisation-failure tear-down path) to
proceed and invoke free_module().

Function free_module() invokes synchronize_rcu() and subsequently
releases the memory backing struct module via free_mod_mem(). Because
CPU 0 was preempted outside an RCU read-side critical section,
synchronize_rcu() does not await CPU 0. When CPU 0 eventually resumes
execution, it passes the dangling module pointer to trace_module_put(),
which dereferences mod->name and mod->refcnt, culminating in a
use-after-free. This sequence of events is illustrated below:

    CPU 0                                       CPU 1
    -----                                       -----

    module_put(module)
      atomic_dec_if_positive()
      [preempted]
                                        module_put(module)
                                          atomic_dec_if_positive()
                                          // drops final reference
                                        free_module(module)
                                          synchronize_rcu()
                                          free_mod_mem(module)
      trace_module_put(module, ...)
        mod->name

Resolve this by acquiring an RCU read-side critical section via
guard(rcu)() in module_put(). This ensures that synchronize_rcu() in
free_module() blocks until trace_module_put() has run to completion, even
across preemption under PREEMPT_RCU configurations, while avoiding the need
to disable preemption and preserving the post-decrement reference count
tracing semantics.

Fixes: cb0b50b813f6 ("module: Remove preempt_disable() from module reference counting.")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Aaron Tomlin <atomlin@atomlin.com>
---
 kernel/module/main.c | 1 +
 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)

diff --git a/kernel/module/main.c b/kernel/module/main.c
index d0e1e0bd2ad0..8e2d0ab96e6e 100644
--- a/kernel/module/main.c
+++ b/kernel/module/main.c
@@ -953,6 +953,7 @@ void module_put(struct module *module)
 	int ret;
 
 	if (module) {
+		guard(rcu)();
 		ret = atomic_dec_if_positive(&module->refcnt);
 		WARN_ON(ret < 0);	/* Failed to put refcount */
 		trace_module_put(module, _RET_IP_);
-- 
2.55.0


             reply	other threads:[~2026-10-19  3:49 UTC|newest]

Thread overview: 3+ messages / expand[flat|nested]  mbox.gz  Atom feed  top
2026-10-19  3:48 Aaron Tomlin [this message]
2026-10-19  8:48 ` Petr Pavlu
2026-10-19 11:27   ` Aaron Tomlin

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