[PATCH net 1/2] ppp: ppp_async: simplify tty disc_data access
From: Qingfang Deng
Date: Fri Aug 28 2026 - 03:34:03 EST
tty_ldisc_hangup() invokes the hangup callback while holding only a read
lock on tty->ldisc_sem, so it can run concurrently with other line
discipline callbacks. This currently forces async PPP to maintain
separate lifetime protection around tty->disc_data.
Line discipline close is called under the write lock during hangup
processing. Remove the hangup callback and rely on close for teardown,
as done for SLIP by commit 23c53269f2ba ("slip: remove slip_hangup() to
fix use-after-free in slip_receive_buf()"). This serializes teardown
with all other line discipline operations.
disc_data_lock, refcount and completion are redundant with that
serialization. Remove them and access tty->disc_data directly.
This also eliminates a lockdep warning reported by syzbot. The warning
does not indicate a real deadlock because the write side runs only in
process context with hardirqs disabled.
Fixes: 1da177e4c3f4 ("Linux-2.6.12-rc2")
Reported-by: syzbot+8e808eb853386f575d86@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/all/0000000000002fbad30611e25849@xxxxxxxxxx/
Signed-off-by: Qingfang Deng <qingfang.deng@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c | 82 ++++---------------------------------
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 75 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c
index 583426d06381..ea7fe9608ffd 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_async.c
@@ -63,8 +63,6 @@ struct asyncppp {
struct tasklet_struct tsk;
- refcount_t refcnt;
- struct completion dead;
struct ppp_channel chan; /* interface to generic ppp layer */
unsigned char obuf[OBUFSIZE];
};
@@ -114,38 +112,6 @@ static const struct ppp_channel_ops async_ops = {
* Routines implementing the 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_asynctty_receive while another
- * calls ppp_asynctty_close, which zeroes tty->disc_data and
- * frees the memory that ppp_asynctty_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: this is no longer true. The _close path for the ldisc is
- * now guaranteed to be sane.
- */
-static DEFINE_RWLOCK(disc_data_lock);
-
-static struct asyncppp *ap_get(struct tty_struct *tty)
-{
- struct asyncppp *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 ap_put(struct asyncppp *ap)
-{
- if (refcount_dec_and_test(&ap->refcnt))
- complete(&ap->dead);
-}
-
/*
* Called when a tty is put into PPP line discipline. Called in process
* context.
@@ -180,9 +146,6 @@ ppp_asynctty_open(struct tty_struct *tty)
skb_queue_head_init(&ap->rqueue);
tasklet_setup(&ap->tsk, ppp_async_process);
- refcount_set(&ap->refcnt, 1);
- init_completion(&ap->dead);
-
ap->chan.private = ap;
ap->chan.ops = &async_ops;
ap->chan.mtu = PPP_MRU;
@@ -203,34 +166,18 @@ ppp_asynctty_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_asynctty_* routines to
- * finish before we can call ppp_unregister_channel and free
- * the asyncppp 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_asynctty_close(struct tty_struct *tty)
{
- struct asyncppp *ap;
+ struct asyncppp *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_async_send/ioctl) are in progress
- * by the time it returns.
- */
- if (!refcount_dec_and_test(&ap->refcnt))
- wait_for_completion(&ap->dead);
+ tty->disc_data = NULL;
tasklet_kill(&ap->tsk);
ppp_unregister_channel(&ap->chan);
@@ -240,17 +187,6 @@ ppp_asynctty_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_asynctty_hangup(struct tty_struct *tty)
-{
- ppp_asynctty_close(tty);
-}
-
/*
* Read does nothing - no data is ever available this way.
* Pppd reads and writes packets via /dev/ppp instead.
@@ -281,7 +217,7 @@ ppp_asynctty_write(struct tty_struct *tty, struct file *file, const u8 *buf,
static int
ppp_asynctty_ioctl(struct tty_struct *tty, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
{
- struct asyncppp *ap = ap_get(tty);
+ struct asyncppp *ap = tty->disc_data;
int err, val;
int __user *p = (int __user *)arg;
@@ -322,7 +258,6 @@ ppp_asynctty_ioctl(struct tty_struct *tty, unsigned int cmd, unsigned long arg)
err = tty_mode_ioctl(tty, cmd, arg);
}
- ap_put(ap);
return err;
}
@@ -331,7 +266,7 @@ static void
ppp_asynctty_receive(struct tty_struct *tty, const u8 *buf, const u8 *cflags,
size_t count)
{
- struct asyncppp *ap = ap_get(tty);
+ struct asyncppp *ap = tty->disc_data;
unsigned long flags;
if (!ap)
@@ -341,21 +276,19 @@ ppp_asynctty_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);
- ap_put(ap);
tty_unthrottle(tty);
}
static void
ppp_asynctty_wakeup(struct tty_struct *tty)
{
- struct asyncppp *ap = ap_get(tty);
+ struct asyncppp *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);
- ap_put(ap);
}
@@ -365,7 +298,6 @@ static struct tty_ldisc_ops ppp_ldisc = {
.name = "ppp",
.open = ppp_asynctty_open,
.close = ppp_asynctty_close,
- .hangup = ppp_asynctty_hangup,
.read = ppp_asynctty_read,
.write = ppp_asynctty_write,
.ioctl = ppp_asynctty_ioctl,
--
2.43.0