[PATCH v1] driver core: Take parent lock in async device attach

From: Mario Peter

Date: Tue Oct 06 2026 - 09:25:32 EST


On buses with need_parent_lock set (only USB), probe() must run with the
parent device locked. A synchronous attach after device_add() gets this
from the caller, e.g. usb_set_configuration() holds the udev lock while
adding interfaces. __device_attach_async_helper() runs the probe from an
async worker instead, where that lock isn't held, and only takes
device_lock(dev).

With async probing enabled for USB drivers (driver_async_probe=*,
module.async_probe=1), hub_probe() of a multi-TT hub then races with
usb_set_configuration() and both create the interface's endpoint
devices. On an i.MX8MM board this hit 11 of 100 boots:

sysfs: cannot create duplicate filename '.../1-1/1-1:1.0/ep_81'
Call trace:
sysfs_warn_dup
usb_create_ep_devs
create_intf_ep_devs
usb_set_interface
hub_probe
usb_probe_interface
really_probe
__device_attach_async_helper
async_run_entry_fn

Take the parent lock there as well, like __driver_attach_async_helper()
does, and move __device_driver_lock/unlock() up for that. With this the
warning was gone in 300 boots.

Fixes: 765230b5f084 ("driver-core: add asynchronous probing support for drivers")
Assisted-by: LLM
Signed-off-by: Mario Peter <mario.peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Seen and tested on 6.16.y, which has the same code here. On mainline
only build-tested.

Not covered: deferred_probe_work_func() also re-probes via
__device_attach() without the parent lock.

Analysis and patch done with the help of Claude Code.

drivers/base/dd.c | 68 +++++++++++++++++++++++------------------------
1 file changed, 34 insertions(+), 34 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/base/dd.c b/drivers/base/dd.c
index f6525a7ee8c5..a8912e6d5fbc 100644
--- a/drivers/base/dd.c
+++ b/drivers/base/dd.c
@@ -1029,6 +1029,38 @@ static int __device_attach_driver(struct device_driver *drv, void *_data)
return ret == 0;
}

+/*
+ * __device_driver_lock - acquire locks needed to manipulate dev->drv
+ * @dev: Device we will update driver info for
+ * @parent: Parent device. Needed if the bus requires parent lock
+ *
+ * This function will take the required locks for manipulating dev->drv.
+ * Normally this will just be the @dev lock, but when called for a USB
+ * interface, @parent lock will be held as well.
+ */
+static void __device_driver_lock(struct device *dev, struct device *parent)
+{
+ if (parent && dev->bus->need_parent_lock)
+ device_lock(parent);
+ device_lock(dev);
+}
+
+/*
+ * __device_driver_unlock - release locks needed to manipulate dev->drv
+ * @dev: Device we will update driver info for
+ * @parent: Parent device. Needed if the bus requires parent lock
+ *
+ * This function will release the required locks for manipulating dev->drv.
+ * Normally this will just be the @dev lock, but when called for a
+ * USB interface, @parent lock will be released as well.
+ */
+static void __device_driver_unlock(struct device *dev, struct device *parent)
+{
+ device_unlock(dev);
+ if (parent && dev->bus->need_parent_lock)
+ device_unlock(parent);
+}
+
static void __device_attach_async_helper(void *_dev, async_cookie_t cookie)
{
struct device *dev = _dev;
@@ -1038,7 +1070,7 @@ static void __device_attach_async_helper(void *_dev, async_cookie_t cookie)
.want_async = true,
};

- device_lock(dev);
+ __device_driver_lock(dev, dev->parent);

/*
* Check if device has already been removed or claimed. This may
@@ -1060,7 +1092,7 @@ static void __device_attach_async_helper(void *_dev, async_cookie_t cookie)
if (dev->parent)
pm_runtime_put(dev->parent);
out_unlock:
- device_unlock(dev);
+ __device_driver_unlock(dev, dev->parent);

put_device(dev);
}
@@ -1155,38 +1187,6 @@ void device_initial_probe(struct device *dev)
subsys_put(sp);
}

-/*
- * __device_driver_lock - acquire locks needed to manipulate dev->drv
- * @dev: Device we will update driver info for
- * @parent: Parent device. Needed if the bus requires parent lock
- *
- * This function will take the required locks for manipulating dev->drv.
- * Normally this will just be the @dev lock, but when called for a USB
- * interface, @parent lock will be held as well.
- */
-static void __device_driver_lock(struct device *dev, struct device *parent)
-{
- if (parent && dev->bus->need_parent_lock)
- device_lock(parent);
- device_lock(dev);
-}
-
-/*
- * __device_driver_unlock - release locks needed to manipulate dev->drv
- * @dev: Device we will update driver info for
- * @parent: Parent device. Needed if the bus requires parent lock
- *
- * This function will release the required locks for manipulating dev->drv.
- * Normally this will just be the @dev lock, but when called for a
- * USB interface, @parent lock will be released as well.
- */
-static void __device_driver_unlock(struct device *dev, struct device *parent)
-{
- device_unlock(dev);
- if (parent && dev->bus->need_parent_lock)
- device_unlock(parent);
-}
-
/**
* device_driver_attach - attach a specific driver to a specific device
* @drv: Driver to attach

base-commit: 22430ae5d90ab288b0ee2ad99ae941f4a666b694
--
2.43.0