[PATCH v2] nstree: check listing permission before taking a namespace reference
From: Norbert Szetei
Date: Mon Sep 07 2026 - 10:32:11 EST
legitimize_ns() takes a reference on the candidate namespace before
may_list_ns() has decided whether the caller may see it. The
__free(ns_put) cleanup on the denied path can drop the last reference to a
mount namespace while we still hold the rcu read lock, and put_mnt_ns()
may sleep there. This is the same problem commit 2ec2aff3c8e2 ("ns: make
sure reference are dropped outside of rcu lock") fixed for the put_user()
path. Neither ns_requested() nor may_list_ns() needs a reference, both
only look at the namespace type and at the caller's own namespaces, so do
the checks first and take the reference last.
Splat:
Voluntary context switch within RCU read-side critical section!
WARNING: kernel/rcu/tree_plugin.h:332 at rcu_note_context_switch+0x238/0x2a0, CPU#5: a/3442
CPU: 5 UID: 1000 PID: 3442 Comm: a Not tainted 7.0.0-30-generic #30-Ubuntu PREEMPT(lazy)
RIP: 0010:rcu_note_context_switch+0x238/0x2a0
Call Trace:
<TASK>
__schedule+0xcf/0x650
schedule+0x27/0x90
schedule_preempt_disabled+0x15/0x30
__mutex_lock.constprop.0+0x550/0xaf0
__mutex_lock_slowpath+0x13/0x20
mutex_lock+0x3b/0x50
exp_funnel_lock+0xb2/0x260
synchronize_rcu_expedited+0xe7/0x220
namespace_unlock+0x26a/0x320
put_mnt_ns+0xd3/0x120
mntns_put+0xe/0x20
do_listns+0x13e/0x560
__do_sys_listns+0x126/0x2d0
__x64_sys_listns+0x20/0x30
x64_sys_call+0x2366/0x2390
do_syscall_64+0x105/0x5a0
entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x76/0x7e
</TASK>
Fixes: 76b6f5dfb3fd ("nstree: add listns()")
Signed-off-by: Norbert Szetei <norbert@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Bradley Morgan <brads@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
v2: include the splat in the description, no code changes.
v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/34C54FF6-AA8F-4124-9B40-C68EADB26D99@xxxxxxxxxxxx/
kernel/nstree.c | 10 ++--------
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
diff --git a/kernel/nstree.c b/kernel/nstree.c
index 6d12e5900ac0..831f279d174a 100644
--- a/kernel/nstree.c
+++ b/kernel/nstree.c
@@ -533,19 +533,13 @@ DEFINE_FREE(ns_put, struct ns_common *, if (!IS_ERR_OR_NULL(_T)) ns_put(_T))
static inline struct ns_common *__must_check legitimize_ns(const struct klistns *kls,
struct ns_common *candidate)
{
- struct ns_common *ns __free(ns_put) = NULL;
-
if (!ns_requested(kls, candidate))
return NULL;
- ns = ns_get_unless_inactive(candidate);
- if (!ns)
- return NULL;
-
- if (!may_list_ns(kls, ns))
+ if (!may_list_ns(kls, candidate))
return NULL;
- return no_free_ptr(ns);
+ return ns_get_unless_inactive(candidate);
}
static ssize_t do_listns_userns(struct klistns *kls)
--
2.55.0