Re: [PATCH] KVM: guest_memfd: Elaborate on how release() vs. get_pfn() is safe against UAF

[Sean Christopherson]

On Wed, Jun 03, 2026, Ackerley Tng wrote:
> Sean Christopherson <seanjc@xxxxxxxxxx> writes:
> 
> > Add more context and information to the comment in kvm_gmem_release() that
> > explains why there's no synchronization on RCU _or_ kvm->srcu.  Point (b)
> > from commit 67b43038ce14 ("KVM: guest_memfd: Remove RCU-protected attribute
> > from slot->gmem.file")
> >
> >       b) kvm->srcu ensures that kvm_gmem_unbind() and freeing of a memslot
> >          occur after the memslot is no longer visible to kvm_gmem_get_pfn().
> >
> > is especially difficult to fully grok, particularly in light of commit
> > ae431059e75d ("KVM: guest_memfd: Remove bindings on memslot deletion when
> > gmem is dying"), which addressed a race between unbind() and release().
> >
> > No functional change intended.
> >
> > Cc: Yan Zhao <yan.y.zhao@xxxxxxxxx>
> > Cc: Vishal Annapurve <vannapurve@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > Signed-off-by: Sean Christopherson <seanjc@xxxxxxxxxx>
> > ---
> >  virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c | 20 ++++++++++++++------
> >  1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
> >
> > diff --git a/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c b/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c
> > index fdaea3422c30..2e09d7ec0cfc 100644
> > --- a/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c
> > +++ b/virt/kvm/guest_memfd.c
> > @@ -338,17 +338,25 @@ static int kvm_gmem_release(struct inode *inode, struct file *file)
> >  	 * dereferencing the slot for existing bindings needs to be protected
> >  	 * against memslot updates, specifically so that unbind doesn't race
> >  	 * and free the memslot (kvm_gmem_get_file() will return NULL).
> > -	 *
> > -	 * Since .release is called only when the reference count is zero,
> > -	 * after which file_ref_get() and get_file_active() fail,
> > -	 * kvm_gmem_get_pfn() cannot be using the file concurrently.
> > -	 * file_ref_put() provides a full barrier, and get_file_active() the
> > -	 * matching acquire barrier.
> >  	 */
> >  	mutex_lock(&kvm->slots_lock);
> >
> >  	filemap_invalidate_lock(inode->i_mapping);
> >
> > +	/*
> > +	 * Note!  synchronize_srcu() is _not_ needed after nullifying memslot
> > +	 * bindings as slot->gmem.file cannot be set back to a non-null value
> > +	 * without the memslot first being deleted.  I.e. this relies on the
> > +	 * synchronize_srcu_expedited() in kvm_swap_active_memslots() to ensure
> 
> Is this kvm_swap_active_memslots() referring not to swapping out of the
> deleted memslot, but swapping in of a new memslot?

No, it's the deletion that matters.  When doing an (S)RCU-protect pointer swap,
readers can see _either_ pointer (the old or the new).  I.e. when creating a new
memslot, synchronize_srcu_expedited() would only guarantee readers would see the
new slot *after* synchronization completes.

But that's not what we care about.  What we care about is that an in-flight
kvm_gmem_get_pfn() _can't_ reach the file for new, re-allocated memslot.  That's
guaranteed because deleting the old memslot waiting for readers to away, i.e.
guarantees that any readers that saw a non-NULL slot->gmem.file saw the one
associated with the old memslot.

> > +	 * kvm_gmem_get_pfn() (which runs with kvm->srcu held for read) can't
> > +	 * grab a reference to slot->gmem.file even if the struct file object
> > +	 * is reallocated.
> > +	 *
> 
> I think the part that's missing for me is: why is synchronize_srcu()
> required after NULLifying memslot bindings? Normally, synchronize_srcu()
> will be needed after memslot updates to make sure the next user of
> kvm->srcu gets the new state of the memslots?
> 
> The "new state" here could be
> 
> 1. slot->gmem.file == NULL
> 2. slot->gmem.file == some new file, set after the old memslot was
>    replaced

Only because there's a synchronize_srcu().  Without that, it could be:

 1. slot->gmem.file == old  ==
 2. slot->gmem.file == NULL  |==> window for readers
 3. slot->gmem.file == new  ==

versus

 1. slot->gmem.file == old  ==
    synchronize_srcu()       |===> window for readers
 2. slot->gmem.file == NULL ==
    synchronize_srcu()       |===> window #2 for readers
 3. slot->gmem.file == new  ==