From: Michael Grzeschik <grzeschik@puzzle.ch>
To: Valentina Manea <valentina.manea.m@gmail.com>,
Shuah Khan <shuah@kernel.org>, Hongren Zheng <i@zenithal.me>,
Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@linuxfoundation.org>
Cc: linux-usb@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org,
Michael Grzeschik <grzeschik@puzzle.ch>
Subject: [PATCH 1/2] usbip: stub: reference count struct stub_device
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2026 12:34:53 +0100 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <20261111-usbip-v1-1-da5217ac71d7@puzzle.ch> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20261111-usbip-v1-0-da5217ac71d7@puzzle.ch>
A stub_device is freed by stub_disconnect() right after usbip_stop_eh()
reported that the event handler is done with it. The rx and tx threads
and the event handler can still use it at that point:
- The event handler clears an event bit after it ran the handler for
it. A SHUTDOWN requested while a previous shutdown is running is lost,
so threads started after that shutdown are not stopped before the
stub_device is freed.
- An event queued for the device while another one is handled leaves an
entry in the event list. Once the event bits are clear,
usbip_stop_eh() returns, the stub_device is freed, and the handler
then locks the sysfs_lock of the freed device.
- The stub_device no longer holds a reference to the usb_device, so a
thread outliving the disconnect touches a freed usb_device too.
This was seen exporting the serial port of an ST-Link from an
STM32MP1-DK2 on a Kirkwood (ARMv5) host. After repeated "endpoint 5 is
stalled" / usb_clear_halt cycles while a client opened and closed the
port, stub_rx crashed in dev_err() with the device pointer computed from
a NULL sdev->udev of freed memory:
Unable to handle kernel NULL pointer dereference at virtual address 000000b8 when read
PC is at dev_driver_string+0x0/0x38
LR is at __dev_printk+0x20/0x6c
Call trace:
dev_driver_string from __dev_printk+0x20/0x6c
__dev_printk from _dev_err+0x40/0x74
_dev_err from stub_rx_loop+0x5d8/0xd68 [usbip_host]
stub_rx_loop [usbip_host] from kthread+0x100/0x120
Reference count the stub_device instead of relying on the event handler
for its lifetime:
- the binding (probe until disconnect) holds the initial reference,
stub_disconnect() drops it instead of freeing the device
- the rx and tx thread hold one each while they run, taken before they
are woken and dropped when they end. If kthread_stop() reports that a
thread never ran, stub_shutdown_connection() drops it for the thread.
- the event handler holds one per queued event until it is completely
done with the device, through new optional get/put event handler
operations, which vhci and vudc do not set
- the stub_device holds a reference to its usb_device again, dropped
with the last reference
Threads that miss their shutdown now end when the connection goes away
instead of using freed memory.
Signed-off-by: Michael Grzeschik <grzeschik@puzzle.ch>
---
drivers/usb/usbip/stub.h | 3 ++
drivers/usb/usbip/stub_dev.c | 69 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++--------
drivers/usb/usbip/stub_rx.c | 3 ++
drivers/usb/usbip/stub_tx.c | 3 ++
drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_common.h | 6 ++++
drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_event.c | 6 ++++
6 files changed, 77 insertions(+), 13 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub.h b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub.h
index d11270560c24..fa40f349d640 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub.h
+++ b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub.h
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
#ifndef __USBIP_STUB_H
#define __USBIP_STUB_H
+#include <linux/kref.h>
#include <linux/list.h>
#include <linux/slab.h>
#include <linux/spinlock.h>
@@ -20,6 +21,7 @@
struct stub_device {
struct usb_device *udev;
+ struct kref kref;
struct usbip_device ud;
__u32 devid;
@@ -85,6 +87,7 @@ extern struct kmem_cache *stub_priv_cache;
/* stub_dev.c */
extern struct usb_device_driver stub_driver;
+void stub_device_put(struct stub_device *sdev);
/* stub_main.c */
struct bus_id_priv *get_busid_priv(const char *busid);
diff --git a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_dev.c b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_dev.c
index abfa11d6bde7..27d1e9c8db17 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_dev.c
@@ -11,6 +11,42 @@
#include "usbip_common.h"
#include "stub.h"
+/*
+ * A stub_device is referenced by its binding to the USB device (from probe
+ * until disconnect), by the rx and tx threads while they run, and by the
+ * event handler while an event for it is queued or being handled. It must
+ * not be freed before all of them are done with it: stopping the threads
+ * relies on the event handler, which can miss a shutdown request or still
+ * have an event queued when disconnect wants to free the device.
+ */
+static void stub_device_release(struct kref *kref)
+{
+ struct stub_device *sdev = container_of(kref, struct stub_device, kref);
+
+ usb_put_dev(sdev->udev);
+ kfree(sdev);
+}
+
+static void stub_device_get(struct stub_device *sdev)
+{
+ kref_get(&sdev->kref);
+}
+
+void stub_device_put(struct stub_device *sdev)
+{
+ kref_put(&sdev->kref, stub_device_release);
+}
+
+static void stub_eh_get(struct usbip_device *ud)
+{
+ stub_device_get(container_of(ud, struct stub_device, ud));
+}
+
+static void stub_eh_put(struct usbip_device *ud)
+{
+ stub_device_put(container_of(ud, struct stub_device, ud));
+}
+
/*
* usbip_status shows the status of usbip-host as long as this driver is bound
* to the target device.
@@ -101,6 +137,10 @@ static ssize_t usbip_sockfd_store(struct device *dev, struct device_attribute *a
get_task_struct(tcp_rx);
get_task_struct(tcp_tx);
+ /* one reference per thread, dropped when the thread ends */
+ stub_device_get(sdev);
+ stub_device_get(sdev);
+
/* lock and update sdev->ud state */
spin_lock_irq(&sdev->ud.lock);
sdev->ud.tcp_socket = socket;
@@ -165,13 +205,18 @@ static void stub_shutdown_connection(struct usbip_device *ud)
kernel_sock_shutdown(ud->tcp_socket, SHUT_RDWR);
}
- /* 1. stop threads */
+ /*
+ * 1. stop threads. A thread that was stopped before it ran
+ * (-EINTR) did not drop its reference itself.
+ */
if (ud->tcp_rx) {
- kthread_stop_put(ud->tcp_rx);
+ if (kthread_stop_put(ud->tcp_rx) == -EINTR)
+ stub_device_put(sdev);
ud->tcp_rx = NULL;
}
if (ud->tcp_tx) {
- kthread_stop_put(ud->tcp_tx);
+ if (kthread_stop_put(ud->tcp_tx) == -EINTR)
+ stub_device_put(sdev);
ud->tcp_tx = NULL;
}
@@ -267,7 +312,8 @@ static struct stub_device *stub_device_alloc(struct usb_device *udev)
if (!sdev)
return NULL;
- sdev->udev = udev;
+ kref_init(&sdev->kref);
+ sdev->udev = usb_get_dev(udev);
/*
* devid is defined with devnum when this driver is first allocated.
@@ -294,6 +340,8 @@ static struct stub_device *stub_device_alloc(struct usb_device *udev)
sdev->ud.eh_ops.shutdown = stub_shutdown_connection;
sdev->ud.eh_ops.reset = stub_device_reset;
sdev->ud.eh_ops.unusable = stub_device_unusable;
+ sdev->ud.eh_ops.get = stub_eh_get;
+ sdev->ud.eh_ops.put = stub_eh_put;
usbip_start_eh(&sdev->ud);
@@ -302,11 +350,6 @@ static struct stub_device *stub_device_alloc(struct usb_device *udev)
return sdev;
}
-static void stub_device_free(struct stub_device *sdev)
-{
- kfree(sdev);
-}
-
static int stub_probe(struct usb_device *udev)
{
struct stub_device *sdev = NULL;
@@ -409,7 +452,7 @@ static int stub_probe(struct usb_device *udev)
put_busid_priv(busid_priv);
sdev_free:
- stub_device_free(sdev);
+ stub_device_put(sdev);
return rc;
}
@@ -489,15 +532,15 @@ static void stub_disconnect(struct usb_device *udev)
/* we already have busid_priv, just lock busid_lock */
spin_lock(&busid_priv->busid_lock);
- /* free sdev */
busid_priv->sdev = NULL;
- stub_device_free(sdev);
if (busid_priv->status == STUB_BUSID_ALLOC)
busid_priv->status = STUB_BUSID_ADDED;
/* release busid_lock */
spin_unlock(&busid_priv->busid_lock);
- return;
+
+ /* drop the reference of the binding, threads may still hold theirs */
+ stub_device_put(sdev);
}
#ifdef CONFIG_PM
diff --git a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_rx.c b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_rx.c
index 1e9ae578810d..63571b690f14 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_rx.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_rx.c
@@ -707,5 +707,8 @@ int stub_rx_loop(void *data)
stub_rx_pdu(ud);
}
+ /* drop the reference taken in usbip_sockfd_store() */
+ stub_device_put(container_of(ud, struct stub_device, ud));
+
return 0;
}
diff --git a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_tx.c b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_tx.c
index 4ffd342250b5..44b3e870456c 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_tx.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/usbip/stub_tx.c
@@ -446,5 +446,8 @@ int stub_tx_loop(void *data)
kthread_should_stop()));
}
+ /* drop the reference taken in usbip_sockfd_store() */
+ stub_device_put(sdev);
+
return 0;
}
diff --git a/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_common.h b/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_common.h
index be4c5e65a7f8..dfacd8530db8 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_common.h
+++ b/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_common.h
@@ -280,6 +280,12 @@ struct usbip_device {
void (*shutdown)(struct usbip_device *);
void (*reset)(struct usbip_device *);
void (*unusable)(struct usbip_device *);
+ /*
+ * Optional: hold a reference while an event for this device is
+ * queued for or being handled by the event handler.
+ */
+ void (*get)(struct usbip_device *ud);
+ void (*put)(struct usbip_device *ud);
} eh_ops;
struct kcov_common_handle_id kcov_handle;
diff --git a/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_event.c b/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_event.c
index 0e00c2d000f8..eea9a71f0eac 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_event.c
+++ b/drivers/usb/usbip/usbip_event.c
@@ -94,6 +94,10 @@ static void event_handler(struct work_struct *work)
mutex_unlock(&ud->sysfs_lock);
wake_up(&ud->eh_waitq);
+
+ /* drop the reference taken by usbip_event_add() */
+ if (ud->eh_ops.put)
+ ud->eh_ops.put(ud);
}
}
@@ -163,6 +167,8 @@ void usbip_event_add(struct usbip_device *ud, unsigned long event)
goto out;
ue->ud = ud;
+ if (ud->eh_ops.get)
+ ud->eh_ops.get(ud);
list_add_tail(&ue->node, &event_list);
queue_work(usbip_queue, &usbip_work);
--
2.53.0
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-11-11 11:35 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 3+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-11-11 11:34 [PATCH 0/2] usbip: stability changes Michael Grzeschik
2026-11-11 11:34 ` Michael Grzeschik [this message]
2026-11-11 11:34 ` [PATCH 2/2] usbip: identify the event handler with current_work() Michael Grzeschik
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