[PATCH v2 1/3] blk-cgroup: fix race between policy activation and blkg destruction

From: Zheng Qixing

Date: Tue Jan 13 2026 - 01:19:48 EST


From: Zheng Qixing <zhengqixing@xxxxxxxxxx>

When switching an IO scheduler on a block device, blkcg_activate_policy()
allocates blkg_policy_data (pd) for all blkgs attached to the queue.
However, blkcg_activate_policy() may race with concurrent blkcg deletion,
leading to use-after-free and memory leak issues.

The use-after-free occurs in the following race:

T1 (blkcg_activate_policy):
- Successfully allocates pd for blkg1 (loop0->queue, blkcgA)
- Fails to allocate pd for blkg2 (loop0->queue, blkcgB)
- Enters the enomem rollback path to release blkg1 resources

T2 (blkcg deletion):
- blkcgA is deleted concurrently
- blkg1 is freed via blkg_free_workfn()
- blkg1->pd is freed

T1 (continued):
- Rollback path accesses blkg1->pd->online after pd is freed
- Triggers use-after-free

In addition, blkg_free_workfn() frees pd before removing the blkg from
q->blkg_list. This allows blkcg_activate_policy() to allocate a new pd
for a blkg that is being destroyed, leaving the newly allocated pd
unreachable when the blkg is finally freed.

Fix these races by extending blkcg_mutex coverage to serialize
blkcg_activate_policy() rollback and blkg destruction, ensuring pd
lifecycle is synchronized with blkg list visibility.

Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260108014416.3656493-3-zhengqixing@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
Fixes: f1c006f1c685 ("blk-cgroup: synchronize pd_free_fn() from blkg_free_workfn() and blkcg_deactivate_policy()")
Signed-off-by: Zheng Qixing <zhengqixing@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
block/blk-cgroup.c | 3 +++
1 file changed, 3 insertions(+)

diff --git a/block/blk-cgroup.c b/block/blk-cgroup.c
index 3cffb68ba5d8..600f8c5843ea 100644
--- a/block/blk-cgroup.c
+++ b/block/blk-cgroup.c
@@ -1596,6 +1596,8 @@ int blkcg_activate_policy(struct gendisk *disk, const struct blkcg_policy *pol)

if (queue_is_mq(q))
memflags = blk_mq_freeze_queue(q);
+
+ mutex_lock(&q->blkcg_mutex);
retry:
spin_lock_irq(&q->queue_lock);

@@ -1658,6 +1660,7 @@ int blkcg_activate_policy(struct gendisk *disk, const struct blkcg_policy *pol)

spin_unlock_irq(&q->queue_lock);
out:
+ mutex_unlock(&q->blkcg_mutex);
if (queue_is_mq(q))
blk_mq_unfreeze_queue(q, memflags);
if (pinned_blkg)
--
2.39.2