[PATCH v3 1/2] smb: client: harden DFS cache against invalid target hints

From: Fredric Cover

Date: Fri Jul 24 2026 - 18:07:46 EST


Currently, get_tgt_name() returns ERR_PTR(-ENOENT) when ce->tgthint is
NULL, and dfs_cache_noreq_update_tgthint() assumes ce->tgthint is always
valid.

In preparation for clearing ce->tgthint in free_tgts(), harden callers
of get_tgt_name() against ERR_PTR results and harden
dfs_cache_noreq_update_tgthint() against NULL pointer dereferences.

Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Fredric Cover <fredric.cover.lkernel@xxxxxxxxx>
---
fs/smb/client/dfs_cache.c | 31 ++++++++++++++++++++++++-------
1 file changed, 24 insertions(+), 7 deletions(-)

diff --git a/fs/smb/client/dfs_cache.c b/fs/smb/client/dfs_cache.c
index 8cd93cd2f00f..c9ace4326a35 100644
--- a/fs/smb/client/dfs_cache.c
+++ b/fs/smb/client/dfs_cache.c
@@ -869,13 +869,22 @@ int dfs_cache_find(const unsigned int xid, struct cifs_ses *ses, const struct nl
goto out_free_path;
}

- if (ref)
- rc = setup_referral(path, ce, ref, get_tgt_name(ce));
- else
+ if (ref) {
+ char *target = get_tgt_name(ce);
+
+ if (IS_ERR(target)) {
+ rc = PTR_ERR(target);
+ goto out_unlock;
+ }
+ rc = setup_referral(path, ce, ref, target);
+ } else {
rc = 0;
+ }
+
if (!rc && tgt_list)
rc = get_targets(ce, tgt_list);

+out_unlock:
up_read(&htable_rw_lock);

out_free_path:
@@ -915,10 +924,17 @@ int dfs_cache_noreq_find(const char *path, struct dfs_info3_param *ref,
goto out_unlock;
}

- if (ref)
- rc = setup_referral(path, ce, ref, get_tgt_name(ce));
- else
+ if (ref) {
+ char *target = get_tgt_name(ce);
+
+ if (IS_ERR(target)) {
+ rc = PTR_ERR(target);
+ goto out_unlock;
+ }
+ rc = setup_referral(path, ce, ref, target);
+ } else {
rc = 0;
+ }
if (!rc && tgt_list)
rc = get_targets(ce, tgt_list);

@@ -959,7 +975,8 @@ void dfs_cache_noreq_update_tgthint(const char *path, const struct dfs_cache_tgt

t = READ_ONCE(ce->tgthint);

- if (unlikely(!strcasecmp(it->it_name, t->name)))
+ /* Check 't' in case ce->tgthint was cleared by free_tgts() */
+ if (t && unlikely(!strcasecmp(it->it_name, t->name)))
goto out_unlock;

list_for_each_entry(t, &ce->tlist, list) {
--
2.53.0