[PATCH] tty: fix lock order inversion in tty_buffer_flush()

From: Ömer Mete Kaya

Date: Tue Aug 04 2026 - 10:09:25 EST


tty_buffer_flush() calls ld->ops->flush_buffer() while holding
buf->lock. For the N_TTY line discipline, flush_buffer() is
n_tty_flush_buffer(), which acquires termios_rwsem.

However, the documented stable lock order (see tty.h) is:
termios_rwsem -> buf->lock

Calling flush_buffer() under buf->lock inverts this order and creates
a circular locking dependency detected by lockdep:

&buf->lock -> console_lock -> &port->mutex -> &tty->termios_rwsem
-> &buf->lock

Fix this by moving the flush_buffer() call outside buf->lock.
The buffer data has already been discarded at this point, so the
ordering change is safe.

Reported-by: syzbot+d84934b4184d7f9a1aed@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=d84934b4184d7f9a1aed
Signed-off-by: Ömer Mete Kaya <omermetekaya0@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c | 10 +++++++---
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
index 96be90db5..bb7b7fbcb 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/tty_buffer.c
@@ -244,11 +244,15 @@ void tty_buffer_flush(struct tty_struct *tty, struct tty_ldisc *ld)
buf->head->read = buf->head->commit;
buf->head->lookahead = buf->head->read;

- if (ld && ld->ops->flush_buffer)
- ld->ops->flush_buffer(tty);
-
atomic_dec(&buf->priority);
mutex_unlock(&buf->lock);
+ /*
+ * Call flush_buffer() outside buf->lock: n_tty_flush_buffer()
+ * acquires termios_rwsem, but the required lock order is
+ * termios_rwsem -> buf->lock, not the other way around.
+ */
+ if (ld && ld->ops->flush_buffer)
+ ld->ops->flush_buffer(tty);
}

/**
--
2.55.0