[PATCH sched_ext/for-7.3 01/32] sched_ext: Fix premature ops->priv publication in scx_alloc_and_add_sched()

From: Tejun Heo

Date: Fri Jul 03 2026 - 04:26:11 EST


scx_alloc_and_add_sched() publishes @sch through ops->priv before allocating
the cgroup path. If that allocation fails, the unwind path clears ops->priv
and frees @sch immediately. scx_prog_sched() callers can dereference
ops->priv from RCU context the moment it is set, so freeing without a grace
period can use-after-free a concurrent kfunc caller.

Move the publication below the cgroup path allocation so that every failure
path after publication frees @sch through kobject_put(), whose release path
defers the freeing by a grace period.

Fixes: 105dcd005be2 ("sched_ext: Introduce scx_prog_sched()")
Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <tj@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/sched/ext/ext.c | 18 ++++++++++++------
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
index 1a0ec985da77..f4725698f5ef 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
@@ -6363,11 +6363,6 @@ struct scx_sched *scx_alloc_and_add_sched(struct scx_enable_cmd *cmd,
sch->ops = *cmd->ops;
}

- rcu_assign_pointer(ops->priv, sch);
-
- sch->kobj.kset = scx_kset;
- INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sch->all);
-
#ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
char *buf = kzalloc(PATH_MAX, GFP_KERNEL);
if (!buf) {
@@ -6385,7 +6380,19 @@ struct scx_sched *scx_alloc_and_add_sched(struct scx_enable_cmd *cmd,
sch->cgrp = cgrp;
INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sch->children);
INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sch->sibling);
+#endif /* CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED */

+ /*
+ * Publishing makes @sch visible to scx_prog_sched() readers. Failure
+ * paths after this point must free @sch through kobject_put() whose
+ * release path defers the actual freeing by an RCU grace period.
+ */
+ rcu_assign_pointer(ops->priv, sch);
+
+ sch->kobj.kset = scx_kset;
+ INIT_LIST_HEAD(&sch->all);
+
+#ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
if (parent) {
/*
* Pin @parent for @sch's lifetime. The kobject hierarchy pins
@@ -6440,7 +6447,6 @@ struct scx_sched *scx_alloc_and_add_sched(struct scx_enable_cmd *cmd,

#ifdef CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED
err_free_lb_resched:
- RCU_INIT_POINTER(ops->priv, NULL);
free_cpumask_var(sch->stall_cpus);
#endif
err_free_lb_resched_cpumask:
--
2.54.0