Re: [PATCH net] net: pktgen: use a consistent flow count
From: Paolo Abeni
Date: Thu Aug 06 2026 - 05:56:08 EST
On 8/2/26 5:23 PM, Qi Zhang wrote:
> From: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@xxxxxxxxx>
>
> pktgen_if_write() can update cflows while the packet generator thread is
> inside mod_cur_headers(). The latter first tests cflows, but f_pick() then
> reloads it when selecting a random flow.
>
> This allows the following interleaving:
>
> CPU 0 (kpktgend) CPU 1 (proc write)
> if (pkt_dev->cflows) // 10
> pkt_dev->cflows = 0
> get_random_u32_below(pkt_dev->cflows)
>
> get_random_u32_below(0) returns a full-width random value. Using that
> value as an index into the fixed-size flows array causes an out-of-bounds
> access. The kernel reported:
>
> BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffc8fe2d2674bc
> #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
> Oops: Oops: 0000 [#1] SMP KASAN NOPTI
> CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 65 Comm: kpktgend_0
> RIP: 0010:mod_cur_headers+0x16f8/0x2840
> Call Trace:
> <TASK>
> pktgen_thread_worker+0x305a/0x6bc0
> kthread+0x2c6/0x3b0
> ret_from_fork+0x36e/0x5a0
> ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
> </TASK>
>
> Read cflows once at the start of mod_cur_headers(), pass the snapshot to
> f_pick(), and use it for later flow-state decisions in the same packet.
> Publish proc updates with WRITE_ONCE(). Flow selection then always uses a
> nonzero count bounded by MAX_CFLOWS, while a concurrent update takes
> effect on a later packet.
>
> Fixes: 007a531b0a0c ("[PKTGEN]: Introduce sequential flows")
> Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Signed-off-by: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev@xxxxxxxxx>
> Signed-off-by: Qi Zhang <marsy12010123@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> net/core/pktgen.c | 18 ++++++++++--------
> 1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-)
>
> diff --git a/net/core/pktgen.c b/net/core/pktgen.c
> index ee64f3012321..631cb1f55f6d 100644
> --- a/net/core/pktgen.c
> +++ b/net/core/pktgen.c
> @@ -1632,7 +1632,7 @@ static ssize_t pktgen_if_write(struct file *file,
> if (value > MAX_CFLOWS)
> value = MAX_CFLOWS;
>
> - pkt_dev->cflows = value;
> + WRITE_ONCE(pkt_dev->cflows, value);
> sprintf(pg_result, "OK: flows=%u", pkt_dev->cflows);
Please use:
sprintf(pg_result, "OK: flows=%u", value);
so that the user get consistent results across racing writes.
Also you need to add READ_ONCE() annotation to all `->cflows` accesses -
a few missed ones in pktgen_if_show().
/P