[PATCH] hwrng: virtio - prevent use-after-free after a failed restore

From: Thorsten Blum

Date: Fri Oct 16 2026 - 06:39:29 EST


remove_common() frees the driver data during freeze, but does not clear
vdev->priv, which points to freed memory. If probe_common() then fails
during restore, a later remove or freeze can dereference the dangling
pointer.

Clear vdev->priv on the probe_common() error cleanup path and before
freeing the driver data in remove_common(). Also reset the device and
return early from remove_common() if vdev->priv is already NULL for a
safe teardown after a failed restore.

Fixes: 08e53fbdb85c ("virtio-rng: support multiple virtio-rng devices")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Thorsten Blum <blum@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c | 7 +++++++
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c b/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c
index 5e83ffa105e4..a9ff520975a7 100644
--- a/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c
+++ b/drivers/char/hw_random/virtio-rng.c
@@ -190,6 +190,7 @@ static int probe_common(struct virtio_device *vdev)
err_find:
ida_free(&rng_index_ida, index);
err_ida:
+ vdev->priv = NULL;
kfree(vi);
return err;
}
@@ -198,6 +199,11 @@ static void remove_common(struct virtio_device *vdev)
{
struct virtrng_info *vi = vdev->priv;

+ if (!vi) {
+ virtio_reset_device(vdev);
+ return;
+ }
+
vi->hwrng_removed = true;
vi->data_avail = 0;
vi->data_idx = 0;
@@ -207,6 +213,7 @@ static void remove_common(struct virtio_device *vdev)
virtio_reset_device(vdev);
vdev->config->del_vqs(vdev);
ida_free(&rng_index_ida, vi->index);
+ vdev->priv = NULL;
kfree(vi);
}