[PATCH net] net/sched: defer qdisc freeing after failed creation

From: David Lee

Date: Wed Aug 05 2026 - 06:25:13 EST


From: Kyle Zeng <kylebot@xxxxxxxxxx>

A qdisc's init callback can publish state to RCU readers before
qdisc_create() completes. In particular, clsact_init() binds a populated
shared ingress block and installs an embedded mini_Qdisc in
dev->tcx_ingress. If subsequent rate estimator setup fails, the unwind
removes that pointer but qdisc_free() immediately releases the qdisc and
its per-CPU statistics. A reader that obtained the miniq before removal
can then access freed memory.

Add qdisc_free_rcu() and use it for the creation error path, matching
normal qdisc destruction. This keeps the embedded miniq and the per-CPU
statistics alive until pre-existing readers complete.

Fixes: 51ab2994c387 ("net: sched: allow ingress and clsact qdiscs to share filter blocks")
Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-5.6-sol Codex:gpt-5.5-cyber
Signed-off-by: Kyle Zeng <kylebot@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: David Lee <david.lee@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Bug found and triaged by OpenAI Security Research and
validated by Trail of Bits.

Trail of Bits has a reproducer for this bug that triggers a
KASAN use-after-free and can share if needed.

include/net/sch_generic.h | 1 +
net/sched/sch_api.c | 2 +-
net/sched/sch_generic.c | 7 ++++++-
3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/net/sch_generic.h b/include/net/sch_generic.h
index 45a1e8c782..d45442c926 100644
--- a/include/net/sch_generic.h
+++ b/include/net/sch_generic.h
@@ -793,6 +793,7 @@ struct Qdisc *qdisc_alloc(struct netdev_queue *dev_queue,
const struct Qdisc_ops *ops,
struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
void qdisc_free(struct Qdisc *qdisc);
+void qdisc_free_rcu(struct Qdisc *qdisc);
struct Qdisc *qdisc_create_dflt(struct netdev_queue *dev_queue,
const struct Qdisc_ops *ops, u32 parentid,
struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
diff --git a/net/sched/sch_api.c b/net/sched/sch_api.c
index 668bcd60d1..041bd60072 100644
--- a/net/sched/sch_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/sch_api.c
@@ -1373,7 +1373,7 @@ static struct Qdisc *qdisc_create(struct net_device *dev,
err_out3:
qdisc_lock_uninit(sch, ops);
netdev_put(dev, &sch->dev_tracker);
- qdisc_free(sch);
+ qdisc_free_rcu(sch);
err_out2:
bpf_module_put(ops, ops->owner);
err_out:
diff --git a/net/sched/sch_generic.c b/net/sched/sch_generic.c
index ef2b4bf515..86d551fbab 100644
--- a/net/sched/sch_generic.c
+++ b/net/sched/sch_generic.c
@@ -1103,6 +1103,11 @@ static void qdisc_free_cb(struct rcu_head *head)
qdisc_free(q);
}

+void qdisc_free_rcu(struct Qdisc *qdisc)
+{
+ call_rcu(&qdisc->rcu, qdisc_free_cb);
+}
+
static void __qdisc_destroy(struct Qdisc *qdisc)
{
const struct Qdisc_ops *ops = qdisc->ops;
@@ -1127,7 +1132,7 @@ static void __qdisc_destroy(struct Qdisc *qdisc)

trace_qdisc_destroy(qdisc);

- call_rcu(&qdisc->rcu, qdisc_free_cb);
+ qdisc_free_rcu(qdisc);
}

void qdisc_destroy(struct Qdisc *qdisc)
--
2.53.0