From: "Eric W. Biederman" <ebiederm@xmission.com>
To: Jann Horn <jannh@google.com>
Cc: Alexander Viro <viro@zeniv.linux.org.uk>,
Christian Brauner <brauner@kernel.org>,
Benjamin Peterson <benjamin@locrian.net>,
Jan Kara <jack@suse.cz>,
Arjan van de Ven <arjan@linux.intel.com>,
Jake Edge <jake@lwn.net>,
linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org, linux-fsdevel@vger.kernel.org,
stable@vger.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] exec: do_close_on_exec() before taking exec_update_lock
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2026 06:30:01 -0500 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <87qzj09gau.fsf@email.froward.int.ebiederm.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <20260907-cloexec-before-exec-update-lock-v1-1-8018c201a7df@google.com> (Jann Horn's message of "Mon, 07 Sep 2026 23:26:32 +0200")
Jann Horn <jannh@google.com> writes:
> do_close_on_exec() currently happens while holding the exec_update_lock,
> which is used in a lot of places that access process state to
> synchronize access checks.
> I recently added another such use of exec_update_lock, causing a
> regression.
A small nit.
It has always been a requirement that in exec_update_lock not be held
for writing over any userspace accesses. Which is why it is taken in
right after exec_mmap is done updating userspace.
In the original version I missed that do_close_on_exec calls flush
which can block waiting on userspace (Is that just a fuse thing?).
So unless I am mistaken I don't think your change technically
created a new bug, so much as aggravated an existing bug. It was
definitely a regression in user experience.
I am mentioning this just to make it clear what is going on.
> do_close_on_exec() can block waiting for a reply from a filesystem.
> That means a hung filesystem can block codepaths that use
> exec_update_lock; and it also means that a FUSE filesystem which
> attempts to inspect the calling process can deadlock.
>
> To avoid such problems, move do_close_on_exec() before the
> exec_update_lock is taken, but after the FD table has been copied if
> necessary.
>
> I have looked through all the calls between the old and new position of
> the do_close_on_exec() call; there seems to be no file descriptor table
> access in between.
Acked-by: "Eric W. Biederman" <ebiederm@xmission.com>
> Reported-by: Benjamin Peterson <benjamin@locrian.net>
> Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/r/f5e8166a-88be-46c5-8939-1e5227ffe4c2@app.fastmail.com
> Fixes: 6650527444da ("proc: protect ptrace_may_access() with exec_update_lock (part 1)")
> Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
> Signed-off-by: Jann Horn <jannh@google.com>
> ---
> fs/exec.c | 22 ++++++++++++++--------
> 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/fs/exec.c b/fs/exec.c
> index 745f6eb5279e..b51e5d7e4536 100644
> --- a/fs/exec.c
> +++ b/fs/exec.c
> @@ -1164,6 +1164,20 @@ int begin_new_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
> if (retval)
> goto out;
>
> + /*
> + * We have to apply CLOEXEC before we change whether the process is
> + * dumpable (in setup_new_exec) to avoid a race with a process in userspace
> + * trying to access the should-be-closed file descriptors of a process
> + * undergoing exec(2).
> + *
> + * This can block on filesystem ->flush() handlers, including waiting
> + * for FUSE daemons, so do it before exec_mmap takes the
> + * exec_update_lock.
> + * This must happen after the point of no return, and after unsharing
> + * the FD table.
> + */
> + do_close_on_exec(me->files);
> +
> /*
> * Must be called _before_ exec_mmap() as bprm->mm is
> * not visible until then. Doing it here also ensures
> @@ -1214,14 +1228,6 @@ int begin_new_exec(struct linux_binprm * bprm)
>
> clear_syscall_work_syscall_user_dispatch(me);
>
> - /*
> - * We have to apply CLOEXEC before we change whether the process is
> - * dumpable (in setup_new_exec) to avoid a race with a process in userspace
> - * trying to access the should-be-closed file descriptors of a process
> - * undergoing exec(2).
> - */
> - do_close_on_exec(me->files);
> -
> if (bprm->secureexec) {
> /* Make sure parent cannot signal privileged process. */
> me->pdeath_signal = 0;
>
> ---
> base-commit: 73ae59e975966d24e32926247ddb45a537ebe184
> change-id: 20260907-cloexec-before-exec-update-lock-972ad108510c
>
> Best regards,
> --
>
> Jann Horn <jannh@google.com>
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2026-09-11 11:30 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 6+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2026-09-07 21:26 Jann Horn
2026-09-08 10:20 ` Jan Kara
2026-09-08 16:45 ` Benjamin Peterson
2026-09-09 7:48 ` Christian Brauner
2026-09-11 11:30 ` Eric W. Biederman [this message]
2026-09-11 15:11 ` Jann Horn
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