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Edward Adam Davis a5b98009f1 sched/psi: fix race between file release and pressure write
A potential race condition exists between pressure write and cgroup file
release regarding the priv member of struct kernfs_open_file, which
triggers the uaf reported in [1].

Consider the following scenario involving execution on two separate CPUs:

   CPU0					CPU1
   ====					====
					vfs_rmdir()
					kernfs_iop_rmdir()
					cgroup_rmdir()
					cgroup_kn_lock_live()
					cgroup_destroy_locked()
					cgroup_addrm_files()
					cgroup_rm_file()
					kernfs_remove_by_name()
					kernfs_remove_by_name_ns()
 vfs_write()				__kernfs_remove()
 new_sync_write()			kernfs_drain()
 kernfs_fop_write_iter()		kernfs_drain_open_files()
 cgroup_file_write()			kernfs_release_file()
 pressure_write()			cgroup_file_release()
 ctx = of->priv;
					kfree(ctx);
 					of->priv = NULL;
					cgroup_kn_unlock()
 cgroup_kn_lock_live()
 cgroup_get(cgrp)
 cgroup_kn_unlock()
 if (ctx->psi.trigger)  // here, trigger uaf for ctx, that is of->priv

The cgroup_rmdir() is protected by the cgroup_mutex, it also safeguards
the memory deallocation of of->priv performed within cgroup_file_release().
However, the operations involving of->priv executed within pressure_write()
are not entirely covered by the protection of cgroup_mutex. Consequently,
if the code in pressure_write(), specifically the section handling the
ctx variable executes after cgroup_file_release() has completed, a uaf
vulnerability involving of->priv is triggered.

Therefore, the issue can be resolved by extending the scope of the
cgroup_mutex lock within pressure_write() to encompass all code paths
involving of->priv, thereby properly synchronizing the race condition
occurring between cgroup_file_release() and pressure_write().

And, if an live kn lock can be successfully acquired while executing
the pressure write operation, it indicates that the cgroup deletion
process has not yet reached its final stage; consequently, the priv
pointer within open_file cannot be NULL. Therefore, the operation to
retrieve the ctx value must be moved to a point *after* the live kn
lock has been successfully acquired.

In another situation, specifically after entering cgroup_kn_lock_live()
but before acquiring cgroup_mutex, there exists a different class of
race condition:

CPU0: write memory.pressure               CPU1: write cgroup.pressure=0
===========================		  =============================

kernfs_fop_write_iter()
 kernfs_get_active_of(of)
 pressure_write()
   cgroup_kn_lock_live(memory.pressure)
     cgroup_tryget(cgrp)
     kernfs_break_active_protection(kn)
     ... blocks on cgroup_mutex

                                     	  cgroup_pressure_write()
                                     	  cgroup_kn_lock_live(cgroup.pressure)
                                     	  cgroup_file_show(memory.pressure, false)
                                     	    kernfs_show(false)
                                     	      kernfs_drain_open_files()
                                     	        cgroup_file_release(of)
                                     	          kfree(ctx)
                                     	            of->priv = NULL
                                     	  cgroup_kn_unlock()

   ... acquires cgroup_mutex
   ctx = of->priv;        // may now be NULL
   if (ctx->psi.trigger)  // NULL dereference

Consequently, there is a possibility that of->priv is NULL, the pressure
write needs to check for this.

Now that the scope of the cgroup_mutex has been expanded, the original
explicit cgroup_get/put operations are no longer necessary, this is
because acquiring/releasing the live kn lock inherently executes a
cgroup get/put operation.

[1]
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in pressure_write+0xa4/0x210 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4011
Call Trace:
 pressure_write+0xa4/0x210 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4011
 cgroup_file_write+0x36f/0x790 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4311
 kernfs_fop_write_iter+0x3b0/0x540 fs/kernfs/file.c:352

Allocated by task 9352:
 cgroup_file_open+0x90/0x3a0 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4256
 kernfs_fop_open+0x9eb/0xcb0 fs/kernfs/file.c:724
 do_dentry_open+0x83d/0x13e0 fs/open.c:949

Freed by task 9353:
 cgroup_file_release+0xd6/0x100 kernel/cgroup/cgroup.c:4283
 kernfs_release_file fs/kernfs/file.c:764 [inline]
 kernfs_drain_open_files+0x392/0x720 fs/kernfs/file.c:834
 kernfs_drain+0x470/0x600 fs/kernfs/dir.c:525

Fixes: 0e94682b73 ("psi: introduce psi monitor")
Reported-by: syzbot+33e571025d88efd1312c@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=33e571025d88efd1312c
Tested-by: syzbot+33e571025d88efd1312c@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
Signed-off-by: Edward Adam Davis <eadavis@qq.com>
Reviewed-by: Chen Ridong <chenridong@huaweicloud.com>
Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <tj@kernel.org>
2026-04-17 07:25:09 -10:00
arch Support for Mobileye EyeQ6Lplus 2026-04-17 08:53:23 -07:00
block for-7.1/block-20260411 2026-04-13 15:51:31 -07:00
certs extract-cert: drop unused definition of PKEY_ID_PKCS7 2026-03-24 21:42:37 +00:00
crypto mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-04-16 20:11:56 -07:00
Documentation Support for Mobileye EyeQ6Lplus 2026-04-17 08:53:23 -07:00
drivers Support for Mobileye EyeQ6Lplus 2026-04-17 08:53:23 -07:00
fs mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-04-16 20:11:56 -07:00
include Support for Mobileye EyeQ6Lplus 2026-04-17 08:53:23 -07:00
init mm.git review status for linus..mm-stable 2026-04-15 12:59:16 -07:00
io_uring Networking changes for 7.1. 2026-04-14 18:36:10 -07:00
ipc Convert 'alloc_obj' family to use the new default GFP_KERNEL argument 2026-02-21 17:09:51 -08:00
kernel sched/psi: fix race between file release and pressure write 2026-04-17 07:25:09 -10:00
lib mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-04-16 20:11:56 -07:00
LICENSES LICENSES: Add modern form of the LGPL-2.1 tags to the usage guide section 2025-10-22 07:58:19 +02:00
mm EFI updates for v7.0 2026-04-16 08:06:25 -07:00
net This update includes the following changes: 2026-04-15 15:22:26 -07:00
rust mm.git review status for linus..mm-stable 2026-04-15 12:59:16 -07:00
samples soc: drivers for 7.1 2026-04-16 20:34:34 -07:00
scripts mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-04-16 20:11:56 -07:00
security mm.git review status for linus..mm-stable 2026-04-15 12:59:16 -07:00
sound sound updates for 7.1-rc1 2026-04-15 09:20:49 -07:00
tools Arm: 2026-04-17 07:18:03 -07:00
usr kbuild: uapi: also test UAPI headers against C++ compilers 2026-03-25 13:24:42 +01:00
virt Arm: 2026-04-17 07:18:03 -07:00
.clang-format Devicetree updates for v7.0: 2026-02-11 18:27:08 -08:00
.clippy.toml rust: bump Clippy's MSRV and clean incompatible_msrv allows 2026-04-07 09:51:39 +02:00
.cocciconfig
.editorconfig editorconfig: add rst extension 2026-01-26 19:07:09 -08:00
.get_maintainer.ignore .get_maintainer.ignore: add myself 2026-04-02 16:48:25 +02:00
.gitattributes .gitattributes: set diff driver for Rust source code files 2023-05-31 17:48:25 +02:00
.gitignore kbuild: rust: provide an option to inline C helpers into Rust 2026-03-30 02:03:52 +02:00
.mailmap mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-04-16 20:11:56 -07:00
.pylintrc docs: Move the python libraries to tools/lib/python 2025-11-18 09:22:40 -07:00
.rustfmt.toml rust: add .rustfmt.toml 2022-09-28 09:02:20 +02:00
COPYING
CREDITS mm.git review status for linus..mm-nonmm-stable 2026-04-16 20:11:56 -07:00
Kbuild checksyscalls: move instance functionality into generic code 2026-04-05 09:21:32 +02:00
Kconfig io_uring: Rename KConfig to Kconfig 2025-02-19 14:53:27 -07:00
MAINTAINERS Support for Mobileye EyeQ6Lplus 2026-04-17 08:53:23 -07:00
Makefile Kbuild/Kconfig updates for 7.1 2026-04-14 09:18:40 -07:00
README docs: add AI Coding Assistants documentation 2026-01-06 14:55:06 -07:00

Linux kernel
============

The Linux kernel is the core of any Linux operating system. It manages hardware,
system resources, and provides the fundamental services for all other software.

Quick Start
-----------

* Report a bug: See Documentation/admin-guide/reporting-issues.rst
* Get the latest kernel: https://kernel.org
* Build the kernel: See Documentation/admin-guide/quickly-build-trimmed-linux.rst
* Join the community: https://lore.kernel.org/

Essential Documentation
-----------------------

All users should be familiar with:

* Building requirements: Documentation/process/changes.rst
* Code of Conduct: Documentation/process/code-of-conduct.rst
* License: See COPYING

Documentation can be built with make htmldocs or viewed online at:
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/


Who Are You?
============

Find your role below:

* New Kernel Developer - Getting started with kernel development
* Academic Researcher - Studying kernel internals and architecture
* Security Expert - Hardening and vulnerability analysis
* Backport/Maintenance Engineer - Maintaining stable kernels
* System Administrator - Configuring and troubleshooting
* Maintainer - Leading subsystems and reviewing patches
* Hardware Vendor - Writing drivers for new hardware
* Distribution Maintainer - Packaging kernels for distros
* AI Coding Assistant - LLMs and AI-powered development tools


For Specific Users
==================

New Kernel Developer
--------------------

Welcome! Start your kernel development journey here:

* Getting Started: Documentation/process/development-process.rst
* Your First Patch: Documentation/process/submitting-patches.rst
* Coding Style: Documentation/process/coding-style.rst
* Build System: Documentation/kbuild/index.rst
* Development Tools: Documentation/dev-tools/index.rst
* Kernel Hacking Guide: Documentation/kernel-hacking/hacking.rst
* Core APIs: Documentation/core-api/index.rst

Academic Researcher
-------------------

Explore the kernel's architecture and internals:

* Researcher Guidelines: Documentation/process/researcher-guidelines.rst
* Memory Management: Documentation/mm/index.rst
* Scheduler: Documentation/scheduler/index.rst
* Networking Stack: Documentation/networking/index.rst
* Filesystems: Documentation/filesystems/index.rst
* RCU (Read-Copy Update): Documentation/RCU/index.rst
* Locking Primitives: Documentation/locking/index.rst
* Power Management: Documentation/power/index.rst

Security Expert
---------------

Security documentation and hardening guides:

* Security Documentation: Documentation/security/index.rst
* LSM Development: Documentation/security/lsm-development.rst
* Self Protection: Documentation/security/self-protection.rst
* Reporting Vulnerabilities: Documentation/process/security-bugs.rst
* CVE Procedures: Documentation/process/cve.rst
* Embargoed Hardware Issues: Documentation/process/embargoed-hardware-issues.rst
* Security Features: Documentation/userspace-api/seccomp_filter.rst

Backport/Maintenance Engineer
-----------------------------

Maintain and stabilize kernel versions:

* Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
* Backporting Guide: Documentation/process/backporting.rst
* Applying Patches: Documentation/process/applying-patches.rst
* Subsystem Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
* Git for Maintainers: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

System Administrator
--------------------

Configure, tune, and troubleshoot Linux systems:

* Admin Guide: Documentation/admin-guide/index.rst
* Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
* Sysctl Tuning: Documentation/admin-guide/sysctl/index.rst
* Tracing/Debugging: Documentation/trace/index.rst
* Performance Security: Documentation/admin-guide/perf-security.rst
* Hardware Monitoring: Documentation/hwmon/index.rst

Maintainer
----------

Lead kernel subsystems and manage contributions:

* Maintainer Handbook: Documentation/maintainer/index.rst
* Pull Requests: Documentation/maintainer/pull-requests.rst
* Managing Patches: Documentation/maintainer/modifying-patches.rst
* Rebasing and Merging: Documentation/maintainer/rebasing-and-merging.rst
* Development Process: Documentation/process/maintainer-handbooks.rst
* Maintainer Entry Profile: Documentation/maintainer/maintainer-entry-profile.rst
* Git Configuration: Documentation/maintainer/configure-git.rst

Hardware Vendor
---------------

Write drivers and support new hardware:

* Driver API Guide: Documentation/driver-api/index.rst
* Driver Model: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/driver.rst
* Device Drivers: Documentation/driver-api/infrastructure.rst
* Bus Types: Documentation/driver-api/driver-model/bus.rst
* Device Tree Bindings: Documentation/devicetree/bindings/
* Power Management: Documentation/driver-api/pm/index.rst
* DMA API: Documentation/core-api/dma-api.rst

Distribution Maintainer
-----------------------

Package and distribute the kernel:

* Stable Kernel Rules: Documentation/process/stable-kernel-rules.rst
* ABI Documentation: Documentation/ABI/README
* Kernel Configuration: Documentation/kbuild/kconfig.rst
* Module Signing: Documentation/admin-guide/module-signing.rst
* Kernel Parameters: Documentation/admin-guide/kernel-parameters.rst
* Tainted Kernels: Documentation/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.rst

AI Coding Assistant
-------------------

CRITICAL: If you are an LLM or AI-powered coding assistant, you MUST read and
follow the AI coding assistants documentation before contributing to the Linux
kernel:

* Documentation/process/coding-assistants.rst

This documentation contains essential requirements about licensing, attribution,
and the Developer Certificate of Origin that all AI tools must comply with.


Communication and Support
=========================

* Mailing Lists: https://lore.kernel.org/
* IRC: #kernelnewbies on irc.oftc.net
* Bugzilla: https://bugzilla.kernel.org/
* MAINTAINERS file: Lists subsystem maintainers and mailing lists
* Email Clients: Documentation/process/email-clients.rst