Re: [PATCH bpf] bpf, sockmap: fix lock inversion between stab->lock and sk_callback_lock

From: John Fastabend

Date: Wed Jun 17 2026 - 13:00:13 EST


On Tue, Jun 16, 2026 at 06:40:09PM +0000, Sechang Lim wrote:
On Tue, Jun 16, 2026 at 06:17:48PM +0800, Jiayuan Chen wrote:

On 6/16/26 5:11 PM, Sechang Lim wrote:
sock_map_update_common() and __sock_map_delete() hold stab->lock and call
sock_map_unref() -> sock_map_del_link() under it. sock_map_del_link() takes
sk_callback_lock for write to stop the strparser and verdict, giving the
lock order stab->lock -> sk_callback_lock.

The opposite order comes from an SK_SKB stream parser. On RX,
sk_psock_strp_data_ready() holds sk_callback_lock for read while running
the parser. The verdict redirects the skb to egress, where a sched_cls


The commit message is wrong. A verdict does not redirect to egress
synchronously — sk_psock_skb_redirect() only queues the skb and
schedule_delayed_work()s sk_psock_backlog, so egress runs in workqueue
context, not under sk_callback_lock.


Thanks, you're right. it's the inline ACK, not the redirect. Sorry for
the misleading changelog, I'll fix it in v2.


program calls bpf_map_delete_elem() on a sockmap, which takes stab->lock:

WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
7.1.0-rc6 Not tainted
------------------------------------------------------
syz.9.8824 is trying to acquire lock:
(&stab->lock){+.-.}-{3:3}, at: __sock_map_delete net/core/sock_map.c:421
but task is already holding lock:
(clock-AF_INET){++.-}-{3:3}, at: sk_psock_strp_data_ready net/core/skmsg.c:1173

-> #1 (clock-AF_INET){++.-}-{3:3}:
_raw_write_lock_bh
sock_map_del_link net/core/sock_map.c:167
sock_map_unref net/core/sock_map.c:184
sock_map_update_common net/core/sock_map.c:509
sock_map_update_elem_sys net/core/sock_map.c:588
map_update_elem kernel/bpf/syscall.c:1805

-> #0 (&stab->lock){+.-.}-{3:3}:
_raw_spin_lock_bh
__sock_map_delete net/core/sock_map.c:421
sock_map_delete_elem net/core/sock_map.c:452
bpf_prog_06044d24140080b6
tcx_run net/core/dev.c:4451
sch_handle_egress net/core/dev.c:4541
__dev_queue_xmit net/core/dev.c:4808
...
tcp_bpf_strp_read_sock net/ipv4/tcp_bpf.c:701


I guess it is an ACK. What is the actual purpose of a sched_cls program calling

sockmap delete on the TX path of an ACK? If there is no real use case for it, this is

just broken BPF usage, not a kernel bug worth this change.



I don't have a real use case for that exact program. But the verifier
allows sockmap delete from tc, and it deadlocks when the strparser's
socket is concurrently removed from the same map. The fix only moves
sock_map_unref() out from under stab->lock.

Best,
Sechang

The bot also thinks it found another locking issue. I'm not sure
supporting 'tc' is really needed here. sockmap is much more easy
to reason about from socket layer. What about just blocking sockmap
manipulations from these prog types.

My current thinking on sockmap at the moment is its has sprawled
across so many layers the locking is overly tricky to reason about.

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index d9bdc3b32c05..5e08d3e03453 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -8567,11 +8567,7 @@ static bool may_update_sockmap(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int func_id)
return true;
break;
case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SOCKET_FILTER:
- case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_CLS:
- case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SCHED_ACT:
- case BPF_PROG_TYPE_XDP:
case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_REUSEPORT:
- case BPF_PROG_TYPE_FLOW_DISSECTOR:
case BPF_PROG_TYPE_SK_LOOKUP:
return true;
default: