[PATCH v2 2/2] nvmet: don't allow I/O admission after percpu ns reference is killed

From: Nilay Shroff

Date: Fri Sep 18 2026 - 12:32:01 EST


nvmet_req_find_ns() uses percpu_ref_get() to obtain a reference to
the namespace. However, percpu_ref_get() can acquire a reference even
after the namespace reference has been killed (or marked DEAD).

This is undesirable during namespace disable because nvmet_ns_disable()
kills the namespace reference and then waits for all outstanding
references to drain. Acquiring a new reference after the reference is
killed can therefore extend the namespace drain period.

Replace percpu_ref_get() in nvmet_req_find_ns() with
percpu_ref_tryget_live_rcu(), which only acquires a reference while
the namespace reference is still live. This handles the race where
nvmet_req_find_ns() finds ns is admitting I/O (or it's live) but before
it acquires the reference to ns, its reference is killed in
nvmet_ns_disable(). For instance check this race:

CPU0 CPU1
nvmet_req_find_ns(): nvmet_ns_disable():
xa_load() -> ns
IO_LIVE == set

xa_clear_mark()
percpu_ref_kill() // DEAD

percpu_ref_get() synchronize_rcu()
| wait_for_completion()
+-- succeed

Replacing percpu_ref_get() with percpu_ref_tryget_live_rcu() prevents
the I/O request from acquiring a namespace reference once the
reference has been marked DEAD.

Perform the namespace lookup and reference acquisition in
nvmet_req_find_ns() within an RCU read-side critical section.
nvmet_ns_disable() uses synchronize_rcu() before draining and exiting
the namespace reference, ensuring that RCU readers which may be
acquiring the namespace reference have completed before the reference
is exited.

Signed-off-by: Nilay Shroff <nilay@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/nvme/target/core.c | 18 ++++++++++++------
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
index 1d4b4936bcac..01bb42a3e42a 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/target/core.c
@@ -446,21 +446,27 @@ u16 nvmet_req_find_ns(struct nvmet_req *req)
{
u32 nsid = le32_to_cpu(req->cmd->common.nsid);
struct nvmet_subsys *subsys = nvmet_req_subsys(req);
+ u16 status = NVME_SC_SUCCESS;

+ rcu_read_lock();
req->ns = xa_load(&subsys->namespaces, nsid);
if (unlikely(!req->ns) ||
- !test_bit(NVMET_NS_IO_LIVE, &req->ns->flags)) {
+ !test_bit(NVMET_NS_IO_LIVE, &req->ns->flags) ||
+ !percpu_ref_tryget_live_rcu(&req->ns->ref)) {
req->error_loc = offsetof(struct nvme_common_command, nsid);
- if (!req->ns) /* ns doesn't exist! */
- return NVME_SC_INVALID_NS | NVME_STATUS_DNR;
+ if (!req->ns) { /* ns doesn't exist! */
+ status = NVME_SC_INVALID_NS | NVME_STATUS_DNR;
+ goto unlock;
+ }

/* ns exists but it's disabled */
req->ns = NULL;
- return NVME_SC_INTERNAL_PATH_ERROR;
+ status = NVME_SC_INTERNAL_PATH_ERROR;
}
+unlock:
+ rcu_read_unlock();

- percpu_ref_get(&req->ns->ref);
- return NVME_SC_SUCCESS;
+ return status;
}

static void nvmet_destroy_namespace(struct percpu_ref *ref)
--
2.53.0