[PATCH net v2 1/2] ipvs: avoid stack overflow from recursive connection expiration

From: Zihan Xi

Date: Wed Sep 16 2026 - 23:03:56 EST


When a controlled IPVS connection expires, its controller may be expired
synchronously if it has no remaining controlled connections. A chain of
controlled connections can then cause recursive calls to
ip_vs_conn_expire() and exhaust the kernel stack during namespace cleanup.

Make ip_vs_conn_del_put() report whether it deleted the controller timer.
When it succeeds, continue expiration with the controller instead of
calling ip_vs_conn_expire() recursively. This keeps chain cleanup
synchronous while using one stack frame for the whole chain.

Fixes: f9200a52eedf ("ipvs: avoid expiring many connections from timer")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reported-by: Vega <vega@xxxxxxxxxx>
Assisted-by: LLM
Co-developed-by: Luxing Yin <root@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Luxing Yin <root@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Zihan Xi <zihanx@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
changes in v2:
- Use a repeat path for controller cleanup so expiration stays
synchronous without recursive calls or extra timer ticks.
- v1 Link:
https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1789110326.git.zihanx@xxxxxxxxxx/

net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c | 17 ++++++++++++-----
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c b/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c
index 6fa3e1dc534c3..c7b88ce1765dc 100644
--- a/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/ipvs/ip_vs_conn.c
@@ -1331,17 +1331,18 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_del(struct ip_vs_conn *cp)
}

/* Try to delete connection while holding reference */
-static void ip_vs_conn_del_put(struct ip_vs_conn *cp)
+static bool ip_vs_conn_del_put(struct ip_vs_conn *cp)
{
if (timer_delete(&cp->timer)) {
/* Drop cp->control chain too */
if (cp->control)
cp->timeout = 0;
__ip_vs_conn_put(cp);
- ip_vs_conn_expire(&cp->timer);
- } else {
- __ip_vs_conn_put(cp);
+ return true;
}
+
+ __ip_vs_conn_put(cp);
+ return false;
}

static void ip_vs_conn_expire(struct timer_list *t)
@@ -1349,6 +1350,7 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_expire(struct timer_list *t)
struct ip_vs_conn *cp = timer_container_of(cp, t, timer);
struct netns_ipvs *ipvs = cp->ipvs;

+repeat:
/*
* do I control anybody?
*/
@@ -1358,6 +1360,7 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_expire(struct timer_list *t)
/* Unlink conn if not referenced anymore */
if (likely(ip_vs_conn_unlink(cp))) {
struct ip_vs_conn *ct = cp->control;
+ bool next = false;

/* delete the timer if it is activated by other users */
timer_delete(&cp->timer);
@@ -1372,7 +1375,7 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_expire(struct timer_list *t)
(!(ct->flags & IP_VS_CONN_F_TEMPLATE) ||
!(ct->state & IP_VS_CTPL_S_ASSURED))) {
IP_VS_DBG(4, "drop controlling connection\n");
- ip_vs_conn_del_put(ct);
+ next = ip_vs_conn_del_put(ct);
} else if (has_ref) {
__ip_vs_conn_put(ct);
}
@@ -1402,6 +1405,10 @@ static void ip_vs_conn_expire(struct timer_list *t)
else
call_rcu(&cp->rcu_head, ip_vs_conn_rcu_free);
atomic_dec(&ipvs->conn_count);
+ if (next) {
+ cp = ct;
+ goto repeat;
+ }
return;
}

--
2.43.0