[PATCH v4 1/6] bpf: Introduce the bpf_list_del kfunc.

From: Chengkaitao

Date: Tue Mar 03 2026 - 09:00:41 EST


From: Kaitao Cheng <chengkaitao@xxxxxxxxxx>

If a user holds ownership of a node in the middle of a list, they
can directly remove it from the list without strictly adhering to
deletion rules from the head or tail.

This is typically paired with bpf_refcount. After calling
bpf_list_del, it is generally necessary to drop the reference to
the list node twice to prevent reference count leaks.

Signed-off-by: Kaitao Cheng <chengkaitao@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/bpf/helpers.c | 19 +++++++++++++++++++
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 6 +++++-
2 files changed, 24 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
index 6eb6c82ed2ee..19d88da8e694 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
@@ -2459,6 +2459,24 @@ __bpf_kfunc struct bpf_list_node *bpf_list_pop_back(struct bpf_list_head *head)
return __bpf_list_del(head, true);
}

+__bpf_kfunc struct bpf_list_node *bpf_list_del(struct bpf_list_head *head,
+ struct bpf_list_node *node)
+{
+ struct bpf_list_node_kern *knode = (struct bpf_list_node_kern *)node;
+ struct list_head *h = (void *)head;
+
+ if (unlikely(!knode))
+ return NULL;
+
+ if (WARN_ON_ONCE(READ_ONCE(knode->owner) != h))
+ return NULL;
+
+ list_del_init(&knode->list_head);
+ WRITE_ONCE(knode->owner, NULL);
+
+ return node;
+}
+
__bpf_kfunc struct bpf_list_node *bpf_list_front(struct bpf_list_head *head)
{
struct list_head *h = (struct list_head *)head;
@@ -4545,6 +4563,7 @@ BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_push_front_impl)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_push_back_impl)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_pop_front, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_pop_back, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
+BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_del, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_front, KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_back, KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_task_acquire, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RCU | KF_RET_NULL)
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index 67c09b43a497..c9557d3fb8dd 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -12461,6 +12461,7 @@ enum special_kfunc_type {
KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl,
KF_bpf_list_pop_front,
KF_bpf_list_pop_back,
+ KF_bpf_list_del,
KF_bpf_list_front,
KF_bpf_list_back,
KF_bpf_cast_to_kern_ctx,
@@ -12521,6 +12522,7 @@ BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_push_front_impl)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_push_back_impl)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_pop_front)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_pop_back)
+BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_del)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_front)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_back)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_cast_to_kern_ctx)
@@ -12996,6 +12998,7 @@ static bool is_bpf_list_api_kfunc(u32 btf_id)
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_pop_front] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_pop_back] ||
+ btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_del] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_front] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_back];
}
@@ -13118,7 +13121,8 @@ static bool check_kfunc_is_graph_node_api(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
switch (node_field_type) {
case BPF_LIST_NODE:
ret = (kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_front_impl] ||
- kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl]);
+ kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl] ||
+ kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_del]);
break;
case BPF_RB_NODE:
ret = (kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_rbtree_remove] ||
--
2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)