[PATCH v5] s390/vfio-ap: fix stale pqap_hook pointer on error in vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm()

From: Anthony Krowiak

Date: Thu Aug 06 2026 - 13:40:56 EST


In vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm(), kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is set to
&matrix_mdev->pqap_hook before the update locks are acquired and the
mdev list is checked for a conflicting assignment. If another mdev is
already attached to the same KVM instance, the function returns -EPERM
without restoring the hook pointer, leaving kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook
pointing at the failing matrix_mdev instead of the mdev that legitimately
owns the KVM.

Since matrix_mdev->kvm is never set on this error path,
vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() will not clean up the hook when matrix_mdev
is later closed. If matrix_mdev is subsequently freed, any PQAP
instruction executed by the guest will dereference the stale pointer
through pqap_hook_rwsem, resulting in a use-after-free.

Since kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook is only set in the vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm()
function and is cleared in the vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() function, a check
for 'kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook != NULL' is all that is needed to determine
whether it belongs to another mdev. This will alleviate the need to iterate
the matrix_dev->mdev_list list to see if the kvm object is assigned to
another mdev.This was introduced in v3 to alleviate the need to take the
mdevs_lock while iterating the list; however, this did not prevent a
potential race condition.

The pqap_hook_rwsem(write) is now performed inside
get_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to acquire
pqap_hook_rwsem(write) between kvm->lock and mdevs_lock. This ordering
is consistent with the PQAP intercept path, which acquires pqap_hook_rwsem
in read mode while srcu is held under vcpu->mutex, establishing the
dependency: kvm->lock -> vcpu->mutex -> srcu -> pqap_hook_rwsem(read).

The pqap_hook_rwsem is now released inside the
release_update_locks_for_kvm(), which is updated to release
pqap_hook_rwsem(write) between mdevs_lock and kvm->lock.

Additionally, kvm_put_kvm() in vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm() is moved
after release_update_locks_for_kvm(). Previously it was called while
kvm->lock was held; if it were ever the last reference, kvm_destroy_vm()
would run under kvm->lock, which would deadlock.

Fixes: 86956e70761b3 ("s390/vfio-ap: replace open coded locks for VFIO_GROUP_NOTIFY_SET_KVM notification")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Co-developed-by: Matthew Rosato <mjrosato@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Matthew Rosato <mjrosato@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Anthony Krowiak <akrowiak@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Acked-by: Christian Borntraeger <borntraeger@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c | 45 ++++++++++++++-----------------
1 file changed, 20 insertions(+), 25 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c b/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
index 44b3a1dcc1b3..99a0efd999ef 100644
--- a/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
+++ b/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
@@ -48,15 +48,19 @@ static void vfio_ap_mdev_reset_queue(struct vfio_ap_queue *q);
* 1. matrix_dev->guests_lock: required to use the KVM pointer to update a KVM
* guest's APCB.
* 2. kvm->lock: required to update a guest's APCB
- * 3. matrix_dev->mdevs_lock: required to access data stored in a matrix_mdev
+ * 3. kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem: required to update pqap_hook and
+ * serialize against PQAP intercepts
+ * 4. matrix_dev->mdevs_lock: required to access data stored in a matrix_mdev
*
- * Note: If @kvm is NULL, the KVM lock will not be taken.
+ * Note: If @kvm is NULL, the KVM lock and pqap_hook_rwsem will not be taken.
*/
static inline void get_update_locks_for_kvm(struct kvm *kvm)
{
mutex_lock(&matrix_dev->guests_lock);
- if (kvm)
+ if (kvm) {
mutex_lock(&kvm->lock);
+ down_write(&kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem);
+ }
mutex_lock(&matrix_dev->mdevs_lock);
}

@@ -68,16 +72,19 @@ static inline void get_update_locks_for_kvm(struct kvm *kvm)
*
* The proper unlocking order is:
* 1. matrix_dev->mdevs_lock
- * 2. kvm->lock
- * 3. matrix_dev->guests_lock
+ * 2. kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem
+ * 3. kvm->lock
+ * 4. matrix_dev->guests_lock
*
- * Note: If @kvm is NULL, the KVM lock will not be released.
+ * Note: If @kvm is NULL, the KVM lock and pqap_hook_rwsem will not be released.
*/
static inline void release_update_locks_for_kvm(struct kvm *kvm)
{
mutex_unlock(&matrix_dev->mdevs_lock);
- if (kvm)
+ if (kvm) {
+ up_write(&kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem);
mutex_unlock(&kvm->lock);
+ }
mutex_unlock(&matrix_dev->guests_lock);
}

@@ -1821,26 +1828,17 @@ static const struct attribute_group *vfio_ap_mdev_attr_groups[] = {
static int vfio_ap_mdev_set_kvm(struct ap_matrix_mdev *matrix_mdev,
struct kvm *kvm)
{
- struct ap_matrix_mdev *m;
-
if (kvm->arch.crypto.crycbd) {
- down_write(&kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem);
- kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook = &matrix_mdev->pqap_hook;
- up_write(&kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem);
-
get_update_locks_for_kvm(kvm);
-
- list_for_each_entry(m, &matrix_dev->mdev_list, node) {
- if (m != matrix_mdev && m->kvm == kvm) {
- release_update_locks_for_kvm(kvm);
- return -EPERM;
- }
+ if (kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook) {
+ release_update_locks_for_kvm(kvm);
+ return -EPERM;
}
+ kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook = &matrix_mdev->pqap_hook;

kvm_get_kvm(kvm);
matrix_mdev->kvm = kvm;
vfio_ap_mdev_update_guest_apcb(matrix_mdev);
-
release_update_locks_for_kvm(kvm);
}

@@ -1883,18 +1881,15 @@ static void vfio_ap_mdev_unset_kvm(struct ap_matrix_mdev *matrix_mdev)
struct kvm *kvm = matrix_mdev->kvm;

if (kvm && kvm->arch.crypto.crycbd) {
- down_write(&kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem);
- kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook = NULL;
- up_write(&kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook_rwsem);
-
get_update_locks_for_kvm(kvm);
+ kvm->arch.crypto.pqap_hook = NULL;

kvm_arch_crypto_clear_masks(kvm);
vfio_ap_mdev_reset_queues(matrix_mdev);
- kvm_put_kvm(kvm);
matrix_mdev->kvm = NULL;

release_update_locks_for_kvm(kvm);
+ kvm_put_kvm(kvm);
}
}

--
2.53.0