[PATCH net v2] xfrm: hold net_device reference under RCU in bundle creation

From: Cen Zhang (Microsoft)

Date: Wed Aug 26 2026 - 16:18:15 EST


From: "Cen Zhang (Microsoft Security FORGE Labs)" <blbllhy@xxxxxxxxx>

xfrm_bundle_create() and xfrm_create_dummy_bundle() read dst->dev into
a local pointer without taking a device reference, then pass it to
xfrm_fill_dst(). A concurrent RTM_DELLINK replaces dst->dev via
dst_dev_put() and frees the old net_device, causing a use-after-free
when xfrm6_fill_dst() later dereferences the stale dev pointer.

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in xfrm6_fill_dst+0x82c/0x860
(net/ipv6/xfrm6_policy.c:86 netdev_hold())
Read of size 8 at addr ffff8880142fe588 by task exploit/153
Call Trace:
xfrm6_fill_dst+0x82c/0x860
xfrm_resolve_and_create_bundle+0x21d4/0x2bd0
xfrm_lookup_with_ifid+0x485/0x1640
ip6_dst_lookup_flow+0x19b/0x1e0
udpv6_sendmsg+0x1443/0x2dd0

Fix this by reading dst->dev via dst_dev_rcu() and keeping the RCU
read-side critical section active until xfrm_fill_dst() has taken the
required device references.

Fixes: 25ee3286dcbc ("[IPSEC]: Merge common code into xfrm_bundle_create")
Fixes: a0073fe18e71 ("xfrm: Add a state resolution packet queue")
Suggested-by: Steffen Klassert <steffen.klassert@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Reported-by: Xiang Mei (Microsoft) <xmei5@xxxxxxx>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260820200245.44312-1-blbllhy@xxxxxxxxx/
Cc: AutonomousCodeSecurity@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Assisted-by: GitHub-Copilot:claude-opus-4.6
Signed-off-by: Cen Zhang (Microsoft Security FORGE Labs) <blbllhy@xxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v2:
- Keep the RCU read-side critical section active through xfrm_fill_dst()
instead of taking a temporary device reference, as suggested by
Steffen.

net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c | 20 +++++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 15 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c b/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c
index 932a313b9460..513c9f228334 100644
--- a/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c
+++ b/net/xfrm/xfrm_policy.c
@@ -2770,9 +2770,12 @@ static struct dst_entry *xfrm_bundle_create(struct xfrm_policy *policy,
xdst0->path = dst;

err = -ENODEV;
- dev = dst->dev;
- if (!dev)
+ rcu_read_lock();
+ dev = dst_dev_rcu(dst);
+ if (!dev) {
+ rcu_read_unlock();
goto free_dst;
+ }

xfrm_init_path(xdst0, dst, nfheader_len);
xfrm_init_pmtu(bundle, nx);
@@ -2780,8 +2783,10 @@ static struct dst_entry *xfrm_bundle_create(struct xfrm_policy *policy,
for (xdst_prev = xdst0; xdst_prev != (struct xfrm_dst *)dst;
xdst_prev = (struct xfrm_dst *) xfrm_dst_child(&xdst_prev->u.dst)) {
err = xfrm_fill_dst(xdst_prev, dev, fl);
- if (err)
+ if (err) {
+ rcu_read_unlock();
goto free_dst;
+ }

xdst_prev->u.dst.header_len = header_len;
xdst_prev->u.dst.trailer_len = trailer_len;
@@ -2789,6 +2794,7 @@ static struct dst_entry *xfrm_bundle_create(struct xfrm_policy *policy,
trailer_len -= xdst_prev->u.dst.xfrm->props.trailer_len;
}

+ rcu_read_unlock();
return &xdst0->u.dst;

put_states:
@@ -3058,11 +3064,15 @@ static struct xfrm_dst *xfrm_create_dummy_bundle(struct net *net,
xfrm_init_path((struct xfrm_dst *)dst1, dst, 0);

err = -ENODEV;
- dev = dst->dev;
- if (!dev)
+ rcu_read_lock();
+ dev = dst_dev_rcu(dst);
+ if (!dev) {
+ rcu_read_unlock();
goto free_dst;
+ }

err = xfrm_fill_dst(xdst, dev, fl);
+ rcu_read_unlock();
if (err)
goto free_dst;

--
2.55.0