[PATCH v2 2/2] binder: fix UAF in binder_free_transaction()

From: Carlos Llamas

Date: Fri Jun 19 2026 - 14:53:19 EST


In binder_free_transaction(), the t->to_proc is read under the t->lock.
However, once the t->lock is dropped, the to_proc can die in parallel.
This leads to a use-after-free error when we attempt to acquire its
inner lock right afterwards:

==================================================================
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in _raw_spin_lock+0xe4/0x1a0
Write of size 4 at addr ffff00001125da70 by task B/672

CPU: 20 UID: 0 PID: 672 Comm: B Not tainted 7.1.0-rc6-00284-g8e65320d91cd #4 PREEMPT
Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT)
Call trace:
_raw_spin_lock+0xe4/0x1a0
binder_free_transaction+0x8c/0x320
binder_send_failed_reply+0x21c/0x2f8
binder_thread_release+0x488/0x7e0
binder_ioctl+0x12c0/0x29a0
[...]

Allocated by task 675:
__kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x174/0x444
binder_open+0x118/0xb70
do_dentry_open+0x374/0x1040
vfs_open+0x58/0x3bc
[...]

Freed by task 212:
__kasan_slab_free+0x58/0x80
kfree+0x1a0/0x4a4
binder_proc_dec_tmpref+0x32c/0x5e0
binder_deferred_func+0xc48/0x104c
process_one_work+0x53c/0xbc0
[...]
==================================================================

To prevent this, pin the target thread (t->to_thread) to guarantee the
target process remains alive. Undelivered transactions without a target
thread are already safe, as the target process can only be the current
context in those paths.

Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Reported-by: Alice Ryhl <aliceryhl@xxxxxxxxxx>
Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/all/aikJKVuny_eOivwN@xxxxxxxxxx/
Fixes: a370003cc301 ("binder: fix possible UAF when freeing buffer")
Signed-off-by: Carlos Llamas <cmllamas@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/android/binder.c | 13 +++++++++++++
1 file changed, 13 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/android/binder.c b/drivers/android/binder.c
index 09bc052186cf..b85920c39694 100644
--- a/drivers/android/binder.c
+++ b/drivers/android/binder.c
@@ -1658,10 +1658,19 @@ static void binder_txn_latency_free(struct binder_transaction *t)

static void binder_free_transaction(struct binder_transaction *t)
{
+ struct binder_thread *target_thread;
struct binder_proc *target_proc;

spin_lock(&t->lock);
target_proc = t->to_proc;
+ target_thread = t->to_thread;
+ /*
+ * Pin target_thread to keep target_proc alive. Undelivered
+ * transactions with !target_thread are safe, as target_proc
+ * can only be the current context there.
+ */
+ if (target_thread)
+ atomic_inc(&target_thread->tmp_ref);
spin_unlock(&t->lock);

if (target_proc) {
@@ -1676,6 +1685,10 @@ static void binder_free_transaction(struct binder_transaction *t)
t->buffer->transaction = NULL;
binder_inner_proc_unlock(target_proc);
}
+
+ if (target_thread)
+ binder_thread_dec_tmpref(target_thread);
+
if (trace_binder_txn_latency_free_enabled())
binder_txn_latency_free(t);
/*
--
2.55.0.rc0.738.g0c8ab3ebcc-goog