From: Nguyen Ngoc Thang <ngocthang2710.1999@gmail.com>
To: Andrew Lunn <andrew@lunn.ch>,
Heiner Kallweit <hkallweit1@gmail.com>,
Russell King <linux@armlinux.org.uk>
Cc: "David S. Miller" <davem@davemloft.net>,
Eric Dumazet <edumazet@kernel.org>,
Jakub Kicinski <kuba@kernel.org>, Paolo Abeni <pabeni@redhat.com>,
Kory Maincent <kory.maincent@bootlin.com>,
netdev@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
syzbot+583f42a41879bb60de32@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
Subject: [PATCH net] net: phy: don't require RTNL to detach a PHY from an unregistered netdev
Date: Thu, 29 Oct 2026 21:24:23 +0700 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20261029142423.93573-1-ngocthang2710.1999@gmail.com> (raw)
phy_detach_internal() reads dev->hwprov with rtnl_dereference(), but
MAC drivers commonly attach and detach PHYs while their net_device is
not registered, without holding RTNL. Before register_netdev(), a failed
phylink_connect_phy() or phy_attach_direct() unwinds through
phy_detach_internal(). After unregister_netdev(), a driver's remove path
may call phy_disconnect(). Both trip lockdep:
WARNING: suspicious RCU usage
drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c:1831 suspicious rcu_dereference_protected() usage!
phy_detach_internal+0x6a5/0x830 drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c:1831
phylink_connect_phy+0x22e/0x2b0 drivers/net/phy/phylink.c:2452
ax88772_bind+0xbb1/0x1520 drivers/net/usb/asix_devices.c:925
usbnet_probe+0xbb3/0x27e0 drivers/net/usb/usbnet.c:1812
syzbot hits this with an emulated asix device. phy_eee_rx_clock_stop()
fails on a USB MDIO error, so phylink_bringup_phy() fails and the PHY is
detached from inside usbnet_probe(), before the netdev is registered.
hwprov is only set through ethtool, under RTNL, on a registered device.
reg_state also changes only under RTNL. So if the device is not
registered, no one else can reach hwprov, and RTNL is not needed. Tell
lockdep that. A detach from a registered device without RTNL still
warns.
Fixes: 35f7cad1743e ("net: Add the possibility to support a selected hwtstamp in netdevice")
Reported-by: syzbot+583f42a41879bb60de32@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=583f42a41879bb60de32
Signed-off-by: Nguyen Ngoc Thang <ngocthang2710.1999@gmail.com>
---
Tested in QEMU (x86_64, syzbot config, KASAN + PROVE_RCU) with the syzbot
C reproducer on 6b4b543fa187:
- before: "WARNING: suspicious RCU usage" at phy_device.c:1831 via
phylink_connect_phy() -> phy_detach_internal() from ax88772_bind()
- after: 11/11 runs hit the same "Could not connect PHY" failure path
with no lockdep/KASAN report
drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c | 8 ++++++--
1 file changed, 6 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
index 5d4508bcfbe9..06c5a8c8cc2a 100644
--- a/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
+++ b/drivers/net/phy/phy_device.c
@@ -1826,9 +1826,13 @@ static void phy_detach_internal(struct phy_device *phydev, bool notify_bus)
struct hwtstamp_provider *hwprov;
/* hwprov may technically be protected by ops lock but
- * not for devices with a phydev, see phy_link_topo_add_phy()
+ * not for devices with a phydev, see phy_link_topo_add_phy().
+ * Drivers may detach without RTNL while dev is unregistered,
+ * but then nothing else can reach hwprov.
*/
- hwprov = rtnl_dereference(dev->hwprov);
+ hwprov = rcu_dereference_protected(dev->hwprov,
+ lockdep_rtnl_is_held() ||
+ dev->reg_state != NETREG_REGISTERED);
/* Disable timestamp if it is the one selected */
if (hwprov && hwprov->phydev == phydev) {
rcu_assign_pointer(dev->hwprov, NULL);
--
2.43.0
next reply other threads:[~2026-10-29 14:24 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 2+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-10-29 14:24 Nguyen Ngoc Thang [this message]
2026-10-30 9:45 ` Kory Maincent
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