[for-linus][PATCH 2/2] tracing: Fix race between update_event_fields and, event_define_fields
From: Steven Rostedt
Date: Thu Aug 13 2026 - 17:29:17 EST
From: Michael Wu <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
The following sequence may leads race between event_define_fields()
and update_event_fields():
CPU0 (loads module A) CPU1 (loads module B)
=============================== ===============================
load_module(A) load_module(B)
notifier_call_chain notifier_call_chain
trace_module_notify trace_module_notify
mutex_lock(&event_mutex) trace_event_update_all()
trace_module_add_events(A) down_write(&trace_event_sem)
__register_event(call_A)
__add_event_to_tracers(call_A)
event_define_fields(call_A)
for each f: list_for_each_entry(field,
list_add(&f->link, &class->fields, link)
&class->fields) field = class->fields->next;
Where access to the class->fields is not protected by the event_mutex in
trace_event_update_all().
This produces the following panic:
Unable to handle kernel access ... at virtual address 0000000000000018
pc : update_event_fields+0xf8/0x368
Call trace:
update_event_fields+0xf8/0x368
trace_event_update_all+0x7c/0x2b4
trace_module_notify+0x4c/0x1dc
notifier_call_chain+0x84/0x168
blocking_notifier_call_chain_robust+0x64/0xd4
load_module+0x10c8/0x123c
__arm64_sys_finit_module+0x230/0x31c
Fix by taking event_mutex in trace_event_update_all() before
trace_event_sem.
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fixes: b3bc8547d3be ("tracing: Have TRACE_DEFINE_ENUM affect trace event types as well")
Link: https://patch.msgid.link/2e5730d2-c631-da41-3a3a-ae35bb4895f3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Michael Wu <michael@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Steven Rostedt <rostedt@xxxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/trace/trace_events.c | 2 ++
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+)
diff --git a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
index 032f741ba616..3650d84d4f16 100644
--- a/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
+++ b/kernel/trace/trace_events.c
@@ -3566,6 +3566,7 @@ void trace_event_update_all(struct trace_eval_map **map, int len)
int last_i;
int i;
+ mutex_lock(&event_mutex);
down_write(&trace_event_sem);
list_for_each_entry_safe(call, p, &ftrace_events, list) {
/* events are usually grouped together with systems */
@@ -3604,6 +3605,7 @@ void trace_event_update_all(struct trace_eval_map **map, int len)
cond_resched();
}
up_write(&trace_event_sem);
+ mutex_unlock(&event_mutex);
}
static bool event_in_systems(struct trace_event_call *call,
--
2.53.0