Forwarded: [PATCH] fs/namei: fix UAF in pick_link() by unlazying before atime check

From: syzbot

Date: Mon Jun 01 2026 - 19:50:28 EST


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Subject: [PATCH] fs/namei: fix UAF in pick_link() by unlazying before atime check
Author: kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx

#syz test: git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git master


In pick_link(), atime_needs_update() is called while the path walk
may still be in RCU mode (LOOKUP_RCU set), meaning no reference is
held on the inode. A concurrent iput() from another task can free
the inode while atime_needs_update() reads inode->i_opflags (offset
+2) inside current_time() -> is_mgtime(), causing a use-after-free.

KASAN reports:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in is_mgtime include/linux/fs.h:2313
Read of size 2 at addr ffff8880407e4282 (offset +2 = i_opflags)

The race:
Task A (pick_link) Task B (unlinkat)
------------------ -----------------
atime_needs_update(inode) iput(inode)
current_time(inode) evict()
is_mgtime(inode) destroy_inode()
inode->i_opflags UAF inode FREED

Fix: call try_to_unlazy() before atime_needs_update() so that
a proper inode reference is held before any inode fields are read.
If try_to_unlazy() detects the inode is already gone, it returns
false and we exit safely with -ECHILD without touching freed memory.

Reported-by: syzbot+36e50496c8ac4bcde3f9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Link: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=36e50496c8ac4bcde3f9
Signed-off-by: Deepanshu Kartikey <kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx>"
---
fs/namei.c | 8 ++++----
1 file changed, 4 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/namei.c b/fs/namei.c
index c7fac83c9a85..eac0ec35be37 100644
--- a/fs/namei.c
+++ b/fs/namei.c
@@ -2037,11 +2037,11 @@ static noinline const char *pick_link(struct nameidata *nd, struct path *link,
unlikely(link->mnt->mnt_flags & MNT_NOSYMFOLLOW))
return ERR_PTR(-ELOOP);

+ if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
+ if (!try_to_unlazy(nd))
+ return ERR_PTR(-ECHILD);
+ }
if (unlikely(atime_needs_update(&last->link, inode))) {
- if (nd->flags & LOOKUP_RCU) {
- if (!try_to_unlazy(nd))
- return ERR_PTR(-ECHILD);
- }
touch_atime(&last->link);
cond_resched();
}
--
2.43.0