[PATCH v2] RDMA/mlx5: Fix devx subscribe-event unwind NULL dereference

From: Prathamesh Deshpande

Date: Tue Apr 28 2026 - 18:49:59 EST


MLX5_IB_METHOD_DEVX_SUBSCRIBE_EVENT() links event_sub into sub_list
before initializing the fields used by the shared error path.

If eventfd_ctx_fdget() then fails, the unwind path dereferences
event_sub->ev_file in uverbs_uobject_put() and calls
subscribe_event_xa_dealloc() with an unset xa_key_level1.

subscribe_event_xa_alloc() creates the XA entry exactly once for a given
key_level1, on the first occurrence of that key. The unwind path must
therefore call subscribe_event_xa_dealloc() exactly once for it as well.

Enforce that by adding devx_key_in_sub_list() and calling
subscribe_event_xa_dealloc() only when the last matching pending entry is
being cleaned up.

Fixes: 759738537142 ("IB/mlx5: Enable subscription for device events over DEVX")
Signed-off-by: Prathamesh Deshpande <prathameshdeshpande7@xxxxxxxxx>
---
v2:
- fix duplicate-key unwind by deallocating each XA entry only once
- add devx_key_in_sub_list() to detect the last matching pending entry
- keep event_sub->ev_file and xa_key_level1 initialization before sub_list insertion
- update commit message to explain the duplicate-key unwind rule

drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/devx.c | 30 +++++++++++++++++++++++-------
1 file changed, 23 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/devx.c b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/devx.c
index 645ebcc0832d..c2ae5a140471 100644
--- a/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/devx.c
+++ b/drivers/infiniband/hw/mlx5/devx.c
@@ -1913,6 +1913,17 @@ static int UVERBS_HANDLER(MLX5_IB_METHOD_DEVX_OBJ_ASYNC_QUERY)(
return err;
}

+static bool devx_key_in_sub_list(struct list_head *list, u32 key_level1)
+{
+ struct devx_event_subscription *s;
+
+ list_for_each_entry(s, list, event_list)
+ if (s->xa_key_level1 == key_level1)
+ return true;
+
+ return false;
+}
+
static void
subscribe_event_xa_dealloc(struct mlx5_devx_event_table *devx_event_table,
u32 key_level1,
@@ -2160,10 +2171,17 @@ static int UVERBS_HANDLER(MLX5_IB_METHOD_DEVX_SUBSCRIBE_EVENT)(

event_sub = kzalloc_obj(*event_sub);
if (!event_sub) {
+ if (!devx_key_in_sub_list(&sub_list, key_level1))
+ subscribe_event_xa_dealloc(devx_event_table,
+ key_level1,
+ obj,
+ obj_id);
err = -ENOMEM;
goto err;
}

+ event_sub->ev_file = ev_file;
+ event_sub->xa_key_level1 = key_level1;
list_add_tail(&event_sub->event_list, &sub_list);
uverbs_uobject_get(&ev_file->uobj);
if (use_eventfd) {
@@ -2178,9 +2196,6 @@ static int UVERBS_HANDLER(MLX5_IB_METHOD_DEVX_SUBSCRIBE_EVENT)(
}

event_sub->cookie = cookie;
- event_sub->ev_file = ev_file;
- /* May be needed upon cleanup the devx object/subscription */
- event_sub->xa_key_level1 = key_level1;
event_sub->xa_key_level2 = obj_id;
INIT_LIST_HEAD(&event_sub->obj_list);
}
@@ -2225,10 +2240,11 @@ static int UVERBS_HANDLER(MLX5_IB_METHOD_DEVX_SUBSCRIBE_EVENT)(
list_for_each_entry_safe(event_sub, tmp_sub, &sub_list, event_list) {
list_del(&event_sub->event_list);

- subscribe_event_xa_dealloc(devx_event_table,
- event_sub->xa_key_level1,
- obj,
- obj_id);
+ if (!devx_key_in_sub_list(&sub_list, event_sub->xa_key_level1))
+ subscribe_event_xa_dealloc(devx_event_table,
+ event_sub->xa_key_level1,
+ obj,
+ obj_id);

if (event_sub->eventfd)
eventfd_ctx_put(event_sub->eventfd);
--
2.43.0