[PATCH bpf v4 4/5] bpf, sockmap: Fix af_unix null-ptr-deref in proto update

From: Michal Luczaj

Date: Tue Apr 14 2026 - 10:29:54 EST


unix_stream_connect() sets sk_state (`WRITE_ONCE(sk->sk_state,
TCP_ESTABLISHED)`) _before_ it assigns a peer (`unix_peer(sk) = newsk`).
sk_state == TCP_ESTABLISHED makes sock_map_sk_state_allowed() believe that
socket is properly set up, which would include having a defined peer. IOW,
there's a window when unix_stream_bpf_update_proto() can be called on
socket which still has unix_peer(sk) == NULL.

CPU0 bpf CPU1 connect
-------- ------------

WRITE_ONCE(sk->sk_state, TCP_ESTABLISHED)
sock_map_sk_state_allowed(sk)
...
sk_pair = unix_peer(sk)
sock_hold(sk_pair)
sock_hold(newsk)
smp_mb__after_atomic()
unix_peer(sk) = newsk

BUG: kernel NULL pointer dereference, address: 0000000000000080
RIP: 0010:unix_stream_bpf_update_proto+0xa0/0x1b0
Call Trace:
sock_map_link+0x564/0x8b0
sock_map_update_common+0x6e/0x340
sock_map_update_elem_sys+0x17d/0x240
__sys_bpf+0x26db/0x3250
__x64_sys_bpf+0x21/0x30
do_syscall_64+0x6b/0x3a0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

Initial idea was to move peer assignment _before_ the sk_state update[1],
but that involved an additional memory barrier, and changing the hot path
was rejected.
Then a NULL check during proto update in unix_stream_bpf_update_proto() was
considered[2], but the follow-up discussion[3] focused on the root cause,
i.e. sockmap update taking a wrong lock. Or, more specifically, missing
unix_state_lock()[4].
In the end it was concluded that teaching sockmap about the af_unix locking
would be unnecessarily complex[5].
Complexity aside, since BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_CLS and BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_ACT
are allowed to update sockmaps, sock_map_update_elem() taking the unix
lock, as it is currently implemented in unix_state_lock():
spin_lock(&unix_sk(s)->lock), would be problematic. unix_state_lock() taken
in a process context, followed by a softirq-context TC BPF program
attempting to take the same spinlock -- deadlock[6].
This way we circled back to the peer check idea[2].

[1]: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/ba5c50aa-1df4-40c2-ab33-a72022c5a32e@xxxxxxx/
[2]: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/20240610174906.32921-1-kuniyu@xxxxxxxxxx/
[3]: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/7603c0e6-cd5b-452b-b710-73b64bd9de26@xxxxxxxxx/
[4]: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/CAAVpQUA+8GL_j63CaKb8hbxoL21izD58yr1NvhOhU=j+35+3og@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
[5]: https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/CAAVpQUAHijOMext28Gi10dSLuMzGYh+jK61Ujn+fZ-wvcODR2A@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
[6]: https://lore.kernel.org/bpf/dd043c69-4d03-46fe-8325-8f97101435cf@xxxxxxxxx/

Summary of scenarios where af_unix/stream connect() may race a sockmap
update:

1. connect() vs. bpf(BPF_MAP_UPDATE_ELEM), i.e. sock_map_update_elem_sys()

Implemented NULL check is sufficient. Once assigned, socket peer won't
be released until socket fd is released. And that's not an issue because
sock_map_update_elem_sys() bumps fd refcnf.

2. connect() vs BPF program doing update

Update restricted per verifier.c:may_update_sockmap() to

BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACING/BPF_TRACE_ITER
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCK_OPS (bpf_sock_map_update() only)
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCKET_FILTER
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_CLS
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_ACT
BPF_PROG_TYPE_XDP
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_REUSEPORT
BPF_PROG_TYPE_FLOW_DISSECTOR
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_LOOKUP

Plus one more race to consider:

CPU0 bpf CPU1 connect
-------- ------------

WRITE_ONCE(sk->sk_state, TCP_ESTABLISHED)
sock_map_sk_state_allowed(sk)
sock_hold(newsk)
smp_mb__after_atomic()
unix_peer(sk) = newsk
sk_pair = unix_peer(sk)
if (unlikely(!sk_pair))
return -EINVAL;

CPU1 close
----------

skpair = unix_peer(sk);
unix_peer(sk) = NULL;
sock_put(skpair)
// use after free?
sock_hold(sk_pair)

2.1 BPF program invoking helper function bpf_sock_map_update() ->
BPF_CALL_4(bpf_sock_map_update(), ...)

Helper limited to BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCK_OPS. Nevertheless, a unix sock
might be accessible via bpf_map_lookup_elem(). Which implies sk
already having psock, which in turn implies sk already having
sk_pair. Since sk_psock_destroy() is queued as RCU work, sk_pair
won't go away while BPF executes the update.

2.2 BPF program invoking helper function bpf_map_update_elem() ->
sock_map_update_elem()

2.2.1 Unix sock accessible to BPF prog only via sockmap lookup in
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCKET_FILTER, BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_CLS,
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_ACT, BPF_PROG_TYPE_XDP,
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_REUSEPORT, BPF_PROG_TYPE_FLOW_DISSECTOR,
BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_LOOKUP.

Pretty much the same as case 2.1.

2.2.2 Unix sock accessible to BPF program directly:
BPF_PROG_TYPE_TRACING, narrowed down to BPF_TRACE_ITER.

Sockmap iterator (sock_map_seq_ops) is safe: unix sock
residing in a sockmap means that the sock already went through
the proto update step.

Unix sock iterator (bpf_iter_unix_seq_ops), on the other hand,
gives access to socks that may still be unconnected. Which
means iterator prog can race sockmap/proto update against
connect().

BUG: KASAN: null-ptr-deref in unix_stream_bpf_update_proto+0x253/0x4d0
Write of size 4 at addr 0000000000000080 by task test_progs/3140
Call Trace:
dump_stack_lvl+0x5d/0x80
kasan_report+0xe4/0x1c0
kasan_check_range+0x125/0x200
unix_stream_bpf_update_proto+0x253/0x4d0
sock_map_link+0x71c/0xec0
sock_map_update_common+0xbc/0x600
sock_map_update_elem+0x19a/0x1f0
bpf_prog_bbbf56096cdd4f01_selective_dump_unix+0x20c/0x217
bpf_iter_run_prog+0x21e/0xae0
bpf_iter_unix_seq_show+0x1e0/0x2a0
bpf_seq_read+0x42c/0x10d0
vfs_read+0x171/0xb20
ksys_read+0xff/0x200
do_syscall_64+0xf7/0x5e0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e

While the introduced NULL check prevents null-ptr-deref in the
BPF program path as well, it is insufficient to guard against
a poorly timed close() leading to a use-after-free. This will
be addressed in a subsequent patch.

Reported-by: Michal Luczaj <mhal@xxxxxxx>
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/netdev/ba5c50aa-1df4-40c2-ab33-a72022c5a32e@xxxxxxx/
Reported-by: 钱一铭 <yimingqian591@xxxxxxxxx>
Suggested-by: Kuniyuki Iwashima <kuniyu@xxxxxxxxxx>
Suggested-by: Martin KaFai Lau <martin.lau@xxxxxxxxx>
Fixes: c63829182c37 ("af_unix: Implement ->psock_update_sk_prot()")
Signed-off-by: Michal Luczaj <mhal@xxxxxxx>
---
net/unix/unix_bpf.c | 3 +++
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/net/unix/unix_bpf.c b/net/unix/unix_bpf.c
index e0d30d6d22ac..57f3124c9d8d 100644
--- a/net/unix/unix_bpf.c
+++ b/net/unix/unix_bpf.c
@@ -185,6 +185,9 @@ int unix_stream_bpf_update_proto(struct sock *sk, struct sk_psock *psock, bool r
*/
if (!psock->sk_pair) {
sk_pair = unix_peer(sk);
+ if (unlikely(!sk_pair))
+ return -EINVAL;
+
sock_hold(sk_pair);
psock->sk_pair = sk_pair;
}

--
2.53.0