[PATCH net 2/2] ppp: ppp_synctty: simplify tty disc_data access

From: Qingfang Deng

Date: Fri Aug 28 2026 - 03:33:09 EST


Apply the same simplification as the preceding ppp_async change.

Fixes: 1da177e4c3f4 ("Linux-2.6.12-rc2")
Reported-by: syzbot+b503105c2410c3433459@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://syzbot.org/bug?extid=b503105c2410c3433459
Signed-off-by: Qingfang Deng <qingfang.deng@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/net/ppp/ppp_synctty.c | 83 +++--------------------------------
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 76 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_synctty.c b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_synctty.c
index 0b1bd1635c39..f87d43faeeab 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_synctty.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_synctty.c
@@ -38,11 +38,9 @@
#include <linux/ppp-ioctl.h>
#include <linux/ppp_channel.h>
#include <linux/spinlock.h>
-#include <linux/completion.h>
#include <linux/init.h>
#include <linux/interrupt.h>
#include <linux/slab.h>
-#include <linux/refcount.h>
#include <linux/unaligned.h>
#include <linux/uaccess.h>

@@ -67,8 +65,6 @@ struct syncppp {

struct tasklet_struct tsk;

- refcount_t refcnt;
- struct completion dead_cmp;
struct ppp_channel chan; /* interface to generic ppp layer */
};

@@ -116,37 +112,6 @@ ppp_print_buffer (const char *name, const __u8 *buf, int count)
* Routines implementing the synchronous PPP line discipline.
*/

-/*
- * We have a potential race on dereferencing tty->disc_data,
- * because the tty layer provides no locking at all - thus one
- * cpu could be running ppp_synctty_receive while another
- * calls ppp_synctty_close, which zeroes tty->disc_data and
- * frees the memory that ppp_synctty_receive is using. The best
- * way to fix this is to use a rwlock in the tty struct, but for now
- * we use a single global rwlock for all ttys in ppp line discipline.
- *
- * FIXME: Fixed in tty_io nowadays.
- */
-static DEFINE_RWLOCK(disc_data_lock);
-
-static struct syncppp *sp_get(struct tty_struct *tty)
-{
- struct syncppp *ap;
-
- read_lock(&disc_data_lock);
- ap = tty->disc_data;
- if (ap != NULL)
- refcount_inc(&ap->refcnt);
- read_unlock(&disc_data_lock);
- return ap;
-}
-
-static void sp_put(struct syncppp *ap)
-{
- if (refcount_dec_and_test(&ap->refcnt))
- complete(&ap->dead_cmp);
-}
-
/*
* Called when a tty is put into sync-PPP line discipline.
*/
@@ -177,9 +142,6 @@ ppp_sync_open(struct tty_struct *tty)
skb_queue_head_init(&ap->rqueue);
tasklet_setup(&ap->tsk, ppp_sync_process);

- refcount_set(&ap->refcnt, 1);
- init_completion(&ap->dead_cmp);
-
ap->chan.private = ap;
ap->chan.ops = &sync_ops;
ap->chan.mtu = PPP_MRU;
@@ -201,34 +163,18 @@ ppp_sync_open(struct tty_struct *tty)
}

/*
- * Called when the tty is put into another line discipline
- * or it hangs up. We have to wait for any cpu currently
- * executing in any of the other ppp_synctty_* routines to
- * finish before we can call ppp_unregister_channel and free
- * the syncppp struct. This routine must be called from
- * process context, not interrupt or softirq context.
+ * Called when the tty is put into another line discipline or it hangs up.
+ * This call is serialized against other ldisc functions.
*/
static void
ppp_sync_close(struct tty_struct *tty)
{
- struct syncppp *ap;
+ struct syncppp *ap = tty->disc_data;

- write_lock_irq(&disc_data_lock);
- ap = tty->disc_data;
- tty->disc_data = NULL;
- write_unlock_irq(&disc_data_lock);
if (!ap)
return;

- /*
- * We have now ensured that nobody can start using ap from now
- * on, but we have to wait for all existing users to finish.
- * Note that ppp_unregister_channel ensures that no calls to
- * our channel ops (i.e. ppp_sync_send/ioctl) are in progress
- * by the time it returns.
- */
- if (!refcount_dec_and_test(&ap->refcnt))
- wait_for_completion(&ap->dead_cmp);
+ tty->disc_data = NULL;
tasklet_kill(&ap->tsk);

ppp_unregister_channel(&ap->chan);
@@ -237,17 +183,6 @@ ppp_sync_close(struct tty_struct *tty)
kfree(ap);
}

-/*
- * Called on tty hangup in process context.
- *
- * Wait for I/O to driver to complete and unregister PPP channel.
- * This is already done by the close routine, so just call that.
- */
-static void ppp_sync_hangup(struct tty_struct *tty)
-{
- ppp_sync_close(tty);
-}
-
/*
* Read does nothing - no data is ever available this way.
* Pppd reads and writes packets via /dev/ppp instead.
@@ -273,7 +208,7 @@ ppp_sync_write(struct tty_struct *tty, struct file *file, const u8 *buf,
static int
ppp_synctty_ioctl(struct tty_struct *tty, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
{
- struct syncppp *ap = sp_get(tty);
+ struct syncppp *ap = tty->disc_data;
int __user *p = (int __user *)arg;
int err, val;

@@ -314,7 +249,6 @@ ppp_synctty_ioctl(struct tty_struct *tty, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
break;
}

- sp_put(ap);
return err;
}

@@ -323,7 +257,7 @@ static void
ppp_sync_receive(struct tty_struct *tty, const u8 *buf, const u8 *cflags,
size_t count)
{
- struct syncppp *ap = sp_get(tty);
+ struct syncppp *ap = tty->disc_data;
unsigned long flags;

if (!ap)
@@ -333,21 +267,19 @@ ppp_sync_receive(struct tty_struct *tty, const u8 *buf, const u8 *cflags,
spin_unlock_irqrestore(&ap->recv_lock, flags);
if (!skb_queue_empty(&ap->rqueue))
tasklet_schedule(&ap->tsk);
- sp_put(ap);
tty_unthrottle(tty);
}

static void
ppp_sync_wakeup(struct tty_struct *tty)
{
- struct syncppp *ap = sp_get(tty);
+ struct syncppp *ap = tty->disc_data;

clear_bit(TTY_DO_WRITE_WAKEUP, &tty->flags);
if (!ap)
return;
set_bit(XMIT_WAKEUP, &ap->xmit_flags);
tasklet_schedule(&ap->tsk);
- sp_put(ap);
}


@@ -357,7 +289,6 @@ static struct tty_ldisc_ops ppp_sync_ldisc = {
.name = "pppsync",
.open = ppp_sync_open,
.close = ppp_sync_close,
- .hangup = ppp_sync_hangup,
.read = ppp_sync_read,
.write = ppp_sync_write,
.ioctl = ppp_synctty_ioctl,
--
2.43.0