[PATCH v2 1/6] bpf: Introduce the bpf_list_del kfunc.

From: Chengkaitao

Date: Wed Feb 25 2026 - 04:38:42 EST


From: Kaitao Cheng <chengkaitao@xxxxxxxxxx>

If a user holds ownership of a node in the middle of a list, they
can directly remove it from the list without strictly adhering to
deletion rules from the head or tail.

When a kfunc has only one bpf_list_node parameter, supplement the
initialization of the corresponding btf_field.

This is typically paired with bpf_refcount. After calling
bpf_list_del, it is generally necessary to drop the reference to
the list node twice to prevent reference count leaks.

Signed-off-by: Kaitao Cheng <chengkaitao@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/bpf/btf.c | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++----
kernel/bpf/helpers.c | 17 +++++++++++++++++
kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 9 ++++++++-
3 files changed, 54 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/btf.c b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
index 4872d2a6c42d..8a977c793d56 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/btf.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/btf.c
@@ -3785,7 +3785,6 @@ static int btf_find_field_one(const struct btf *btf,
case BPF_RES_SPIN_LOCK:
case BPF_TIMER:
case BPF_WORKQUEUE:
- case BPF_LIST_NODE:
case BPF_RB_NODE:
case BPF_REFCOUNT:
case BPF_TASK_WORK:
@@ -3794,6 +3793,27 @@ static int btf_find_field_one(const struct btf *btf,
if (ret < 0)
return ret;
break;
+ case BPF_LIST_NODE:
+ ret = btf_find_struct(btf, var_type, off, sz, field_type,
+ info_cnt ? &info[0] : &tmp);
+ if (ret < 0)
+ return ret;
+ /* graph_root for verifier: container type and node member name */
+ if (info_cnt && var_idx >= 0 && (u32)var_idx < btf_type_vlen(var)) {
+ u32 id;
+ const struct btf_member *member;
+
+ for (id = 1; id < btf_nr_types(btf); id++) {
+ if (btf_type_by_id(btf, id) == var) {
+ info[0].graph_root.value_btf_id = id;
+ member = btf_type_member(var) + var_idx;
+ info[0].graph_root.node_name =
+ __btf_name_by_offset(btf, member->name_off);
+ break;
+ }
+ }
+ }
+ break;
case BPF_KPTR_UNREF:
case BPF_KPTR_REF:
case BPF_KPTR_PERCPU:
@@ -4138,6 +4158,7 @@ struct btf_record *btf_parse_fields(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type
if (ret < 0)
goto end;
break;
+ case BPF_LIST_NODE:
case BPF_LIST_HEAD:
ret = btf_parse_list_head(btf, &rec->fields[i], &info_arr[i]);
if (ret < 0)
@@ -4148,7 +4169,6 @@ struct btf_record *btf_parse_fields(const struct btf *btf, const struct btf_type
if (ret < 0)
goto end;
break;
- case BPF_LIST_NODE:
case BPF_RB_NODE:
break;
default:
@@ -4192,20 +4212,25 @@ int btf_check_and_fixup_fields(const struct btf *btf, struct btf_record *rec)
int i;

/* There are three types that signify ownership of some other type:
- * kptr_ref, bpf_list_head, bpf_rb_root.
+ * kptr_ref, bpf_list_head/node, bpf_rb_root.
* kptr_ref only supports storing kernel types, which can't store
* references to program allocated local types.
*
* Hence we only need to ensure that bpf_{list_head,rb_root} ownership
* does not form cycles.
*/
- if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(rec) || !(rec->field_mask & (BPF_GRAPH_ROOT | BPF_UPTR)))
+ if (IS_ERR_OR_NULL(rec) || !(rec->field_mask &
+ (BPF_GRAPH_ROOT | BPF_GRAPH_NODE | BPF_UPTR)))
return 0;
+
for (i = 0; i < rec->cnt; i++) {
struct btf_struct_meta *meta;
const struct btf_type *t;
u32 btf_id;

+ if (rec->fields[i].type & BPF_GRAPH_NODE)
+ rec->fields[i].graph_root.value_rec = rec;
+
if (rec->fields[i].type == BPF_UPTR) {
/* The uptr only supports pinning one page and cannot
* point to a kernel struct
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
index 6eb6c82ed2ee..577af62a9f7a 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
@@ -2459,6 +2459,22 @@ __bpf_kfunc struct bpf_list_node *bpf_list_pop_back(struct bpf_list_head *head)
return __bpf_list_del(head, true);
}

+__bpf_kfunc struct bpf_list_node *bpf_list_del(struct bpf_list_node *node)
+{
+ struct bpf_list_node_kern *knode = (struct bpf_list_node_kern *)node;
+
+ if (unlikely(!knode))
+ return NULL;
+
+ if (WARN_ON_ONCE(!READ_ONCE(knode->owner)))
+ return NULL;
+
+ list_del_init(&knode->list_head);
+ WRITE_ONCE(knode->owner, NULL);
+
+ return node;
+}
+
__bpf_kfunc struct bpf_list_node *bpf_list_front(struct bpf_list_head *head)
{
struct list_head *h = (struct list_head *)head;
@@ -4545,6 +4561,7 @@ BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_push_front_impl)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_push_back_impl)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_pop_front, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_pop_back, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
+BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_del, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_front, KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_back, KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_task_acquire, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RCU | KF_RET_NULL)
diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index a3390190c26e..1e9857177a7a 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -12431,6 +12431,7 @@ enum special_kfunc_type {
KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl,
KF_bpf_list_pop_front,
KF_bpf_list_pop_back,
+ KF_bpf_list_del,
KF_bpf_list_front,
KF_bpf_list_back,
KF_bpf_cast_to_kern_ctx,
@@ -12491,6 +12492,7 @@ BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_push_front_impl)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_push_back_impl)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_pop_front)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_pop_back)
+BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_del)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_front)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_list_back)
BTF_ID(func, bpf_cast_to_kern_ctx)
@@ -12966,6 +12968,7 @@ static bool is_bpf_list_api_kfunc(u32 btf_id)
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_pop_front] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_pop_back] ||
+ btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_del] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_front] ||
btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_back];
}
@@ -13088,7 +13091,8 @@ static bool check_kfunc_is_graph_node_api(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
switch (node_field_type) {
case BPF_LIST_NODE:
ret = (kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_front_impl] ||
- kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl]);
+ kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_push_back_impl] ||
+ kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_list_del]);
break;
case BPF_RB_NODE:
ret = (kfunc_btf_id == special_kfunc_list[KF_bpf_rbtree_remove] ||
@@ -13211,6 +13215,9 @@ __process_kf_arg_ptr_to_graph_node(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
return -EINVAL;
}

+ if (!*node_field)
+ *node_field = field;
+
field = *node_field;

et = btf_type_by_id(field->graph_root.btf, field->graph_root.value_btf_id);
--
2.50.1 (Apple Git-155)