* Re: [PATCH] configfs: fix use-after-free of default group in configfs_symlink()
[not found] <20261114025011.50334-1-izaacchong934@gmail.com>
@ 2026-11-14 2:50 ` syzbot
0 siblings, 0 replies; 3+ messages in thread
From: syzbot @ 2026-11-14 2:50 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: izaacchong934; +Cc: izaacchong934, syzkaller-bugs, linux-kernel
> #syz test: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git master
Patch testing via #syz test is temporarily disabled.
See https://github.com/google/syzkaller/issues/8122 for details.
>
> configfs_symlink() drops the parent directory's inode lock while it
> resolves the link target, and keeps a reference to parent_item across
> that window. When the parent is a default group, such as
> ports/<n>/subsystems/ in the NVMe target, parent_item is embedded in
> the containing object (struct nvmet_port). A reference on the embedded
> item does not keep the containing object alive, so a concurrent rmdir of
> the port can free it. allow_link() and the final config_item_put() then
> touch freed memory:
>
> BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in nvmet_port_subsys_allow_link+0x41/0x2e0
> Call Trace:
> nvmet_port_subsys_allow_link+0x41/0x2e0 drivers/nvme/target/configfs.c:1059
> configfs_symlink+0x59a/0x1030 fs/configfs/symlink.c:196
> vfs_symlink+0x18b/0x330 fs/namei.c:5794
>
> detach_groups() marks a default group's directory S_DEAD while holding
> that directory's inode lock, before the containing object can be freed.
> So drop the parent_item reference before unlocking dir, and after
> re-taking the lock return -ENOENT if dir is dead. Otherwise look
> parent_item up again, which is safe while dir is locked and alive.
>
> Fixes: 351e5d869e5a ("configfs: fix a deadlock in configfs_symlink()")
> Reported-by: syzbot+b0996ac2197dd7420c3e@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
> Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=b0996ac2197dd7420c3e
> Cc: linux-nvme@lists.infradead.org
> Signed-off-by: Izaac Chong <izaacchong934@gmail.com>
> ---
> fs/configfs/symlink.c | 24 ++++++++++++++++++------
> 1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/fs/configfs/symlink.c b/fs/configfs/symlink.c
> index 89178f5d371a..1b2c9048a920 100644
> --- a/fs/configfs/symlink.c
> +++ b/fs/configfs/symlink.c
> @@ -166,11 +166,11 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
>
> parent_item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry->d_parent);
> type = parent_item->ci_type;
> + config_item_put(parent_item);
>
> - ret = -EPERM;
> if (!type || !type->ct_item_ops ||
> !type->ct_item_ops->allow_link)
> - goto out_put;
> + return -EPERM;
>
> /*
> * This is really sick. What they wanted was a hybrid of
> @@ -200,7 +200,20 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
> ret = get_target(symname, &target_item, &target_sd, dentry->d_sb);
> inode_lock(dir);
> if (ret)
> - goto out_put;
> + return ret;
> +
> + /*
> + * parent_item may be a default group embedded in an object that a
> + * concurrent rmdir freed while dir was unlocked, so we dropped our
> + * reference above. detach_groups() marks dir S_DEAD under its inode
> + * lock before the containing object can go away, so it is safe to
> + * look parent_item up again only if dir is still alive.
> + */
> + if (IS_DEADDIR(dir)) {
> + ret = -ENOENT;
> + goto out_put_target;
> + }
> + parent_item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry->d_parent);
>
> if (dentry->d_inode || d_unhashed(dentry))
> ret = -EEXIST;
> @@ -218,11 +231,10 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
> target_item);
> }
>
> + config_item_put(parent_item);
> +out_put_target:
> configfs_put(target_sd);
> config_item_put(target_item);
> -
> -out_put:
> - config_item_put(parent_item);
> return ret;
> }
>
> --
> 2.39.2 (Apple Git-143)
>
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread
* [PATCH] configfs: fix use-after-free of default group in configfs_symlink()
@ 2026-11-14 2:58 Izaac Chong
0 siblings, 0 replies; 3+ messages in thread
From: Izaac Chong @ 2026-11-14 2:58 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: Breno Leitao, Andreas Hindborg, Al Viro
Cc: linux-kernel, syzbot+b0996ac2197dd7420c3e, linux-nvme, Izaac Chong
configfs_symlink() drops the parent directory's inode lock while it
resolves the link target, and keeps a reference to parent_item across
that window. When the parent is a default group, such as
ports/<n>/subsystems/ in the NVMe target, parent_item is embedded in
the containing object (struct nvmet_port). A reference on the embedded
item does not keep the containing object alive, so a concurrent rmdir of
the port can free it. allow_link() and the final config_item_put() then
touch freed memory:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in nvmet_port_subsys_allow_link+0x41/0x2e0
Call Trace:
nvmet_port_subsys_allow_link+0x41/0x2e0 drivers/nvme/target/configfs.c:1059
configfs_symlink+0x59a/0x1030 fs/configfs/symlink.c:196
vfs_symlink+0x18b/0x330 fs/namei.c:5794
detach_groups() marks a default group's directory S_DEAD while holding
that directory's inode lock, before the containing object can be freed.
So drop the parent_item reference before unlocking dir, and after
re-taking the lock return -ENOENT if dir is dead. Otherwise look
parent_item up again, which is safe while dir is locked and alive.
Fixes: 351e5d869e5a ("configfs: fix a deadlock in configfs_symlink()")
Reported-by: syzbot+b0996ac2197dd7420c3e@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=b0996ac2197dd7420c3e
Cc: linux-nvme@lists.infradead.org
Signed-off-by: Izaac Chong <izaacchong934@gmail.com>
---
Tested with the syzbot C reproducer on v7.4-rc2 in QEMU with KASAN:
without this patch the reproducer triggers the slab-use-after-free in
nvmet_port_subsys_allow_link() on the first run; with it, 3 runs of
5 s each are clean, and normal link/unlink/rmdir of a port still work.
I tried to have syzbot test it, but #syz test is currently disabled
(syzkaller issue #8122).
syzbot's AI patch (v1-v3, still in moderation) pinned the root item of
the default group. This takes a simpler approach: drop the parent
reference before unlocking, and recheck IS_DEADDIR() after relocking,
since detach_groups() sets S_DEAD under the same inode lock.
Not tested: lockdep was not enabled during the reproducer runs, and I
did not confirm that the new -ENOENT path is hit during the race.
---
fs/configfs/symlink.c | 24 ++++++++++++++++++------
1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
diff --git a/fs/configfs/symlink.c b/fs/configfs/symlink.c
index 89178f5d371a..1b2c9048a920 100644
--- a/fs/configfs/symlink.c
+++ b/fs/configfs/symlink.c
@@ -166,11 +166,11 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
parent_item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry->d_parent);
type = parent_item->ci_type;
+ config_item_put(parent_item);
- ret = -EPERM;
if (!type || !type->ct_item_ops ||
!type->ct_item_ops->allow_link)
- goto out_put;
+ return -EPERM;
/*
* This is really sick. What they wanted was a hybrid of
@@ -200,7 +200,20 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
ret = get_target(symname, &target_item, &target_sd, dentry->d_sb);
inode_lock(dir);
if (ret)
- goto out_put;
+ return ret;
+
+ /*
+ * parent_item may be a default group embedded in an object that a
+ * concurrent rmdir freed while dir was unlocked, so we dropped our
+ * reference above. detach_groups() marks dir S_DEAD under its inode
+ * lock before the containing object can go away, so it is safe to
+ * look parent_item up again only if dir is still alive.
+ */
+ if (IS_DEADDIR(dir)) {
+ ret = -ENOENT;
+ goto out_put_target;
+ }
+ parent_item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry->d_parent);
if (dentry->d_inode || d_unhashed(dentry))
ret = -EEXIST;
@@ -218,11 +231,10 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
target_item);
}
+ config_item_put(parent_item);
+out_put_target:
configfs_put(target_sd);
config_item_put(target_item);
-
-out_put:
- config_item_put(parent_item);
return ret;
}
---
base-commit: 97d73c8251226cf27cc6656b4c542869bb8c69fa
change-id: 20261114-configfs-symlink-uaf-c5d84bb6a976
Best regards,
--
Izaac Chong <izaacchong934@gmail.com>
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread
* Re: [PATCH] configfs: fix use-after-free of default group in configfs_symlink()
[not found] <20261114020731.49877-1-izaacchong934@gmail.com>
@ 2026-11-14 2:08 ` syzbot
0 siblings, 0 replies; 3+ messages in thread
From: syzbot @ 2026-11-14 2:08 UTC (permalink / raw)
To: izaacchong934; +Cc: izaacchong934, linux-nvme, linux-kernel, syzkaller-bugs
> #syz test: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git master
Patch testing via #syz test is temporarily disabled.
See https://github.com/google/syzkaller/issues/8122 for details.
>
> configfs_symlink() drops the parent directory's inode lock while it
> resolves the link target, and keeps a reference to parent_item across
> that window. When the parent is a default group, such as
> ports/<n>/subsystems/ in the NVMe target, parent_item is embedded in
> the containing object (struct nvmet_port). A reference on the embedded
> item does not keep the containing object alive, so a concurrent rmdir of
> the port can free it. allow_link() and the final config_item_put() then
> touch freed memory:
>
> BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in nvmet_port_subsys_allow_link+0x41/0x2e0
> Call Trace:
> nvmet_port_subsys_allow_link+0x41/0x2e0 drivers/nvme/target/configfs.c:1059
> configfs_symlink+0x59a/0x1030 fs/configfs/symlink.c:196
> vfs_symlink+0x18b/0x330 fs/namei.c:5794
>
> detach_groups() marks a default group's directory S_DEAD while holding
> that directory's inode lock, before the containing object can be freed.
> So drop the parent_item reference before unlocking dir, and after
> re-taking the lock return -ENOENT if dir is dead. Otherwise look
> parent_item up again, which is safe while dir is locked and alive.
>
> Fixes: 351e5d869e5a ("configfs: fix a deadlock in configfs_symlink()")
> Reported-by: syzbot+b0996ac2197dd7420c3e@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
> Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=b0996ac2197dd7420c3e
> Cc: linux-nvme@lists.infradead.org
> Signed-off-by: Izaac Chong <izaacchong934@gmail.com>
> ---
> fs/configfs/symlink.c | 24 ++++++++++++++++++------
> 1 file changed, 18 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/fs/configfs/symlink.c b/fs/configfs/symlink.c
> index 89178f5d371a..1b2c9048a920 100644
> --- a/fs/configfs/symlink.c
> +++ b/fs/configfs/symlink.c
> @@ -166,11 +166,11 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
>
> parent_item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry->d_parent);
> type = parent_item->ci_type;
> + config_item_put(parent_item);
>
> - ret = -EPERM;
> if (!type || !type->ct_item_ops ||
> !type->ct_item_ops->allow_link)
> - goto out_put;
> + return -EPERM;
>
> /*
> * This is really sick. What they wanted was a hybrid of
> @@ -200,7 +200,20 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
> ret = get_target(symname, &target_item, &target_sd, dentry->d_sb);
> inode_lock(dir);
> if (ret)
> - goto out_put;
> + return ret;
> +
> + /*
> + * parent_item may be a default group embedded in an object that a
> + * concurrent rmdir freed while dir was unlocked, so we dropped our
> + * reference above. detach_groups() marks dir S_DEAD under its inode
> + * lock before the containing object can go away, so it is safe to
> + * look parent_item up again only if dir is still alive.
> + */
> + if (IS_DEADDIR(dir)) {
> + ret = -ENOENT;
> + goto out_put_target;
> + }
> + parent_item = configfs_get_config_item(dentry->d_parent);
>
> if (dentry->d_inode || d_unhashed(dentry))
> ret = -EEXIST;
> @@ -218,11 +231,10 @@ int configfs_symlink(const struct mnt_idmap *idmap, struct inode *dir,
> target_item);
> }
>
> + config_item_put(parent_item);
> +out_put_target:
> configfs_put(target_sd);
> config_item_put(target_item);
> -
> -out_put:
> - config_item_put(parent_item);
> return ret;
> }
>
> --
> 2.39.2 (Apple Git-143)
>
^ permalink raw reply [flat|nested] 3+ messages in thread
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2026-11-14 2:50 ` [PATCH] configfs: fix use-after-free of default group in configfs_symlink() syzbot
2026-11-14 2:58 Izaac Chong
[not found] <20261114020731.49877-1-izaacchong934@gmail.com>
2026-11-14 2:08 ` syzbot
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