[PATCH v3] pwrseq: core: fix use-after-free in pwrseq_debugfs_seq_next()
From: Wentao Liang
Date: Tue Jun 16 2026 - 11:14:57 EST
pwrseq_debugfs_seq_next() declares 'next' with __free(put_device),
which causes put_device() to be called on the returned pointer when
the variable goes out of scope. This results in a use-after-free
since the seq_file framework receives a pointer whose reference has
already been dropped.
Simply removing __free(put_device) would fix the UAF but would leak
the reference acquired by bus_find_next_device(), as stop() only
calls up_read(&pwrseq_sem) and never releases the device reference.
Fix this by making the reference counting consistent across all
seq_file callbacks, matching the standard pattern used by PCI and
SCSI:
- start(): use get_device() so it returns a referenced pointer.
- next(): explicitly put_device(curr) to release the previous
device's reference (no NULL check needed - the seq_file framework
only calls next() while the previous return was non-NULL).
- stop(): put_device(data) to release the last iterated device's
reference, with a NULL guard since stop() may be called with NULL
when start() returned NULL or next() reached end-of-sequence.
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fixes: 249ebf3f65f8 ("power: sequencing: implement the pwrseq core")
Signed-off-by: Wentao Liang <vulab@xxxxxxxxxxx>
---
v3: Make reference counting consistent across all callbacks instead
of just removing __free(). Add get_device() in start(),
put_device(curr) in next(), and put_device(data) in stop().
v2: Drop __free() and no_free_ptr().
---
drivers/power/sequencing/core.c | 14 +++++++++-----
1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/power/sequencing/core.c b/drivers/power/sequencing/core.c
index 4dff71be11b6..9b512a055b5a 100644
--- a/drivers/power/sequencing/core.c
+++ b/drivers/power/sequencing/core.c
@@ -989,8 +989,9 @@ static void *pwrseq_debugfs_seq_start(struct seq_file *seq, loff_t *pos)
ctx.index = *pos;
/*
- * We're holding the lock for the entire printout so no need to fiddle
- * with device reference count.
+ * Hold the lock for the entire printout to prevent device removal.
+ * Reference counts are managed by start()/next()/stop() as required
+ * by the seq_file contract.
*/
down_read(&pwrseq_sem);
@@ -998,7 +999,7 @@ static void *pwrseq_debugfs_seq_start(struct seq_file *seq, loff_t *pos)
if (!ctx.index)
return NULL;
- return ctx.dev;
+ return get_device(ctx.dev);
}
static void *pwrseq_debugfs_seq_next(struct seq_file *seq, void *data,
@@ -1008,8 +1009,9 @@ static void *pwrseq_debugfs_seq_next(struct seq_file *seq, void *data,
++*pos;
- struct device *next __free(put_device) =
- bus_find_next_device(&pwrseq_bus, curr);
+ struct device *next = bus_find_next_device(&pwrseq_bus, curr);
+
+ put_device(curr);
return next;
}
@@ -1058,6 +1060,8 @@ static int pwrseq_debugfs_seq_show(struct seq_file *seq, void *data)
static void pwrseq_debugfs_seq_stop(struct seq_file *seq, void *data)
{
+ if (data)
+ put_device(data);
up_read(&pwrseq_sem);
}
--
2.34.1