[PATCH net] af_unix: fix listen() succeeding on sockets in the wrong state
From: John Ericson
Date: Thu Jul 02 2026 - 16:21:05 EST
From: John Ericson <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Commit fd0a109a0f6b ("net, pidfs: prepare for handing out pidfds for
reaped sk->sk_peer_pid") inserted a `prepare_peercred()` call between
`err = -EINVAL` and the socket-state check in `unix_listen()`. Since
`prepare_peercred()` leaves `err` at 0 on success, `listen()` on an
AF_UNIX socket that is not in `TCP_CLOSE` or `TCP_LISTEN` state (e.g.
one that is already connected) now silently returns success without
doing anything, instead of failing with `EINVAL` as it did before.
To fix this bug, and avoid such bugs in the future, switch to a style
where `err = -E...;` instead happens right before the `goto`. (`err =
other_function(...);` is not changed.) Then there is no spooky-action-
at-a-distance between the `err` initialization and the `goto`, something
which is easier to slip by code review.
Fixes: fd0a109a0f6b ("net, pidfs: prepare for handing out pidfds for reaped sk->sk_peer_pid")
Assisted-by: Claude:claude-fable-5
Signed-off-by: John Ericson <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
net/unix/af_unix.c | 14 +++++++++-----
1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 5 deletions(-)
diff --git a/net/unix/af_unix.c b/net/unix/af_unix.c
index f7a9d55eee8a..7878b27bbaf8 100644
--- a/net/unix/af_unix.c
+++ b/net/unix/af_unix.c
@@ -813,18 +813,22 @@ static int unix_listen(struct socket *sock, int backlog)
struct unix_sock *u = unix_sk(sk);
struct unix_peercred peercred = {};
- err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
- if (sock->type != SOCK_STREAM && sock->type != SOCK_SEQPACKET)
+ if (sock->type != SOCK_STREAM && sock->type != SOCK_SEQPACKET) {
+ err = -EOPNOTSUPP;
goto out; /* Only stream/seqpacket sockets accept */
- err = -EINVAL;
- if (!READ_ONCE(u->addr))
+ }
+ if (!READ_ONCE(u->addr)) {
+ err = -EINVAL;
goto out; /* No listens on an unbound socket */
+ }
err = prepare_peercred(&peercred);
if (err)
goto out;
unix_state_lock(sk);
- if (sk->sk_state != TCP_CLOSE && sk->sk_state != TCP_LISTEN)
+ if (sk->sk_state != TCP_CLOSE && sk->sk_state != TCP_LISTEN) {
+ err = -EINVAL;
goto out_unlock;
+ }
if (backlog > sk->sk_max_ack_backlog)
wake_up_interruptible_all(&u->peer_wait);
sk->sk_max_ack_backlog = backlog;
--
2.54.0