[PATCH net] net: pktgen: use a consistent flow count

From: Qi Zhang

Date: Sun Aug 02 2026 - 11:23:55 EST


From: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@xxxxxxxxx>

pktgen_if_write() can update cflows while the packet generator thread is
inside mod_cur_headers(). The latter first tests cflows, but f_pick() then
reloads it when selecting a random flow.

This allows the following interleaving:

CPU 0 (kpktgend) CPU 1 (proc write)
if (pkt_dev->cflows) // 10
pkt_dev->cflows = 0
get_random_u32_below(pkt_dev->cflows)

get_random_u32_below(0) returns a full-width random value. Using that
value as an index into the fixed-size flows array causes an out-of-bounds
access. The kernel reported:

BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffc8fe2d2674bc
#PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI
CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 65 Comm: kpktgend_0
RIP: 0010:mod_cur_headers+0x16f8/0x2840
Call Trace:
<TASK>
pktgen_thread_worker+0x305a/0x6bc0
kthread+0x2c6/0x3b0
ret_from_fork+0x36e/0x5a0
ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
</TASK>

Read cflows once at the start of mod_cur_headers(), pass the snapshot to
f_pick(), and use it for later flow-state decisions in the same packet.
Publish proc updates with WRITE_ONCE(). Flow selection then always uses a
nonzero count bounded by MAX_CFLOWS, while a concurrent update takes
effect on a later packet.

Fixes: 007a531b0a0c ("[PKTGEN]: Introduce sequential flows")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@xxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Qi Zhang <marsy12010123@xxxxxxxxx>
---
net/core/pktgen.c | 18 ++++++++++--------
1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/core/pktgen.c b/net/core/pktgen.c
index ee64f3012321..631cb1f55f6d 100644
--- a/net/core/pktgen.c
+++ b/net/core/pktgen.c
@@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ static ssize_t pktgen_if_write(struct file *file,
if (value > MAX_CFLOWS)
value = MAX_CFLOWS;

- pkt_dev->cflows = value;
+ WRITE_ONCE(pkt_dev->cflows, value);
sprintf(pg_result, "OK: flows=%u", pkt_dev->cflows);
return count;
}
@@ -2373,7 +2373,7 @@ static inline int f_seen(const struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev, int flow)
return !!(pkt_dev->flows[flow].flags & F_INIT);
}

-static inline int f_pick(struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev)
+static inline int f_pick(struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev, unsigned int cflows)
{
int flow = pkt_dev->curfl;

@@ -2383,11 +2383,11 @@ static inline int f_pick(struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev)
pkt_dev->flows[flow].count = 0;
pkt_dev->flows[flow].flags = 0;
pkt_dev->curfl += 1;
- if (pkt_dev->curfl >= pkt_dev->cflows)
+ if (pkt_dev->curfl >= cflows)
pkt_dev->curfl = 0; /*reset */
}
} else {
- flow = get_random_u32_below(pkt_dev->cflows);
+ flow = get_random_u32_below(cflows);
pkt_dev->curfl = flow;

if (pkt_dev->flows[flow].count > pkt_dev->lflow) {
@@ -2461,12 +2461,14 @@ static void set_cur_queue_map(struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev)
*/
static void mod_cur_headers(struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev)
{
+ unsigned int cflows;
__u32 imn;
__u32 imx;
int flow = 0;

- if (pkt_dev->cflows)
- flow = f_pick(pkt_dev);
+ cflows = READ_ONCE(pkt_dev->cflows);
+ if (cflows)
+ flow = f_pick(pkt_dev, cflows);

/* Deal with source MAC */
if (pkt_dev->src_mac_count > 1) {
@@ -2582,7 +2584,7 @@ static void mod_cur_headers(struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev)
pkt_dev->cur_saddr = htonl(t);
}

- if (pkt_dev->cflows && f_seen(pkt_dev, flow)) {
+ if (cflows && f_seen(pkt_dev, flow)) {
pkt_dev->cur_daddr = pkt_dev->flows[flow].cur_daddr;
} else {
imn = ntohl(pkt_dev->daddr_min);
@@ -2611,7 +2613,7 @@ static void mod_cur_headers(struct pktgen_dev *pkt_dev)
pkt_dev->cur_daddr = htonl(t);
}
}
- if (pkt_dev->cflows) {
+ if (cflows) {
pkt_dev->flows[flow].flags |= F_INIT;
pkt_dev->flows[flow].cur_daddr =
pkt_dev->cur_daddr;
--
2.43.0