Re: [PATCH v4 8/9] s390/vfio-ap: Fix NULL deref in status_show() during queue probe

From: Matthew Rosato

Date: Wed Aug 12 2026 - 13:58:53 EST


On 8/12/26 1:09 PM, Anthony Krowiak wrote:
> When vfio_ap_mdev_probe_queue() creates the sysfs attribute group,
> the queue's driver data has not yet been set. A concurrent read of
> the 'status' attribute can therefore call dev_get_drvdata() and
> get NULL, which is then passed directly to
> vfio_ap_mdev_for_queue() where q->apqn is unconditionally
> dereferenced, causing a NULL pointer dereference.
>
> Fix this by acquiring the update locks before calling
> sysfs_create_group(). The status_show() function acquires
> guests_lock before reading the driver data, so any concurrent
> read will block until after dev_set_drvdata() has been called
> and the update locks are released.
>
> As a bonus, the APQN no longer needs to be read from the queue
> struct after allocation — it can be read directly from apdev
> before allocation and stored in a local variable, which is then
> assigned to q->apqn once the allocation succeeds.
>
> Fixes: 260f3ea141382 ("s390/vfio-ap: move probe and remove callbacks to vfio_ap_ops.c")
> Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Signed-off-by: Anthony Krowiak <akrowiak@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c | 15 +++++++++++----
> 1 file changed, 11 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c b/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
> index 16779cfc64e8..b0454a296c67 100644
> --- a/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
> +++ b/drivers/s390/crypto/vfio_ap_ops.c
> @@ -2424,14 +2424,17 @@ void vfio_ap_mdev_unregister(void)
>
> int vfio_ap_mdev_probe_queue(struct ap_device *apdev)
> {
> - int ret;
> + int ret, apqn;
> struct vfio_ap_queue *q;
> DECLARE_BITMAP(apm_filtered, AP_DEVICES);
> struct ap_matrix_mdev *matrix_mdev;
>
> + apqn = to_ap_queue(&apdev->device)->qid;
> + matrix_mdev = get_update_locks_by_apqn(apqn);
> +
> ret = sysfs_create_group(&apdev->device.kobj, &vfio_queue_attr_group);
> if (ret)
> - return ret;
> + goto err_release_locks;
>
> q = kzalloc_obj(*q);
> if (!q) {
> @@ -2439,11 +2442,10 @@ int vfio_ap_mdev_probe_queue(struct ap_device *apdev)
> goto err_remove_group;
> }
>
> - q->apqn = to_ap_queue(&apdev->device)->qid;
> + q->apqn = apqn;
> q->saved_isc = VFIO_AP_ISC_INVALID;
> memset(&q->reset_status, 0, sizeof(q->reset_status));
> INIT_WORK(&q->reset_work, apq_reset_check);
> - matrix_mdev = get_update_locks_by_apqn(q->apqn);
>
> if (matrix_mdev) {
> vfio_ap_mdev_link_queue(matrix_mdev, q);
> @@ -2472,8 +2474,13 @@ int vfio_ap_mdev_probe_queue(struct ap_device *apdev)
> return ret;
>
> err_remove_group:
> + release_update_locks_for_mdev(matrix_mdev);

I think now you've just shrunk the window instead of totally closed it?

Can't sysfs still be accessed between this release and the remove_group?

Do you think adding an additional NULL check against dev_get_drvdata()
in status_show() and treating the NULL case like the other error
conditions would be enough to cover that window?