[PATCH v2] bpf: fix UAF by restoring RCU-delayed inode freeing in bpffs

From: Deepanshu Kartikey

Date: Mon Jun 01 2026 - 22:53:13 EST


commit 4f375ade6aa9 ("bpf: Avoid RCU context warning when unpinning
htab with internal structs") moved inode cleanup from ->free_inode()
into ->destroy_inode() to avoid sleeping in RCU context when calling
bpf_any_put(). However this removed the RCU delay on freeing the
inode itself and the cached symlink body (i_link), both of which
can be accessed by RCU pathwalk (pick_link, may_lookup etc.).

This causes a use-after-free when a concurrent unlinkat() drops the
last inode reference and destroy_inode() frees the inode immediately,
while another task is still walking the path in RCU mode and reads
inode->i_opflags (offset +2) inside current_time() -> is_mgtime().

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 rules (per Al Viro):
->destroy_inode() called immediately, can sleep, use for blocking
cleanup e.g. bpf_any_put()
->free_inode() called after RCU grace period, use for freeing
inode and anything RCU-accessible e.g. i_link

Fix: split the two concerns properly:
- keep bpf_any_put() in bpf_destroy_inode() since it is blocking
and needs to run promptly
- introduce bpf_free_inode() to handle kfree(i_link) and
free_inode_nonrcu() with proper RCU delay, preventing the UAF

Fixes: 4f375ade6aa9 ("bpf: Avoid RCU context warning when unpinning htab with internal structs")
Reported-by: syzbot+36e50496c8ac4bcde3f9@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=36e50496c8ac4bcde3f9
Suggested-by: Al Viro <viro@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260423043906.GN3518998@ZenIV/
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260602002607.110866-1-kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx/T/ [v1]
Signed-off-by: Deepanshu Kartikey <kartikey406@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v2:
- NAK on v1 fix in fs/namei.c (pick_link) by Al Viro
- v1 was papering over the symptom not fixing root cause
- real fix is in kernel/bpf/inode.c as suggested by Al Viro
- restore ->free_inode() for RCU-delayed inode/symlink freeing
- keep ->destroy_inode() only for blocking bpf_any_put() cleanup
---
kernel/bpf/inode.c | 13 +++++++++++--
1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/inode.c b/kernel/bpf/inode.c
index 25c06a011825..188c774a469c 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/inode.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/inode.c
@@ -766,10 +766,18 @@ static void bpf_destroy_inode(struct inode *inode)
{
enum bpf_type type;

- if (S_ISLNK(inode->i_mode))
- kfree(inode->i_link);
if (!bpf_inode_type(inode, &type))
bpf_any_put(inode->i_private, type);
+}
+
+/*
+ * Called after RCU grace period - safe to free inode and anything
+ * that might be accessed by RCU pathwalk (inode fields, i_link).
+ */
+static void bpf_free_inode(struct inode *inode)
+{
+ if (S_ISLNK(inode->i_mode))
+ kfree(inode->i_link);
free_inode_nonrcu(inode);
}

@@ -778,6 +786,7 @@ const struct super_operations bpf_super_ops = {
.drop_inode = inode_just_drop,
.show_options = bpf_show_options,
.destroy_inode = bpf_destroy_inode,
+ .free_inode = bpf_free_inode,
};

enum {
--
2.43.0