[PATCH v3 2/3] dmaengine: fix use-after-free in dma_chan_put() and dma_release_channel()

From: Shivank Garg

Date: Sun Aug 16 2026 - 11:49:53 EST


When dma_device_put() drops the last reference on chan->device->ref,
dma_device_release() runs and may free the dma_device along with its
channels.

Two paths still read that memory after the put:
- dma_chan_put() reads chan->device->owner via dma_chan_to_owner()
for the trailing module_put().
- dma_release_channel() calls dma_chan_put() before reading chan->slave,
chan->name, chan->dev and chan->dbg_client_name.

KASAN catches the first one:

slab-use-after-free in dma_chan_put+0x3e6/0x4c0
Read of size 8 by task insmod/6319
Freed by task 6319:
kfree+0x225/0x470
dma_chan_put+0x395/0x4c0
dmaengine_put+0xf8/0x160

Cache the module owner in dma_chan_put() before the put so the trailing
module_put() does not need chan->device. In dma_release_channel(), move
dma_chan_put() to the end, after every chan/device read.

Fixes: 8ad342a86359 ("dmaengine: Add reference counting to dma_device struct")
Suggested-by: Sashiko <sashiko-bot@xxxxxxxxxx>
Link: https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/20260518-dmaengine-kref-fix-v1-1-4d6125048fb7@xxxxxxx
Signed-off-by: Shivank Garg <shivankg@xxxxxxx>
---
drivers/dma/dmaengine.c | 8 +++++---
1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c b/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c
index 516d6d933208..bf491eb10596 100644
--- a/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c
+++ b/drivers/dma/dmaengine.c
@@ -495,10 +495,13 @@ static int dma_chan_get(struct dma_chan *chan)
*/
static void dma_chan_put(struct dma_chan *chan)
{
+ struct module *owner;
+
/* This channel is not in use, bail out */
if (!chan->client_count)
return;

+ owner = dma_chan_to_owner(chan);
chan->client_count--;

/* This channel is not in use anymore, free it */
@@ -518,7 +521,7 @@ static void dma_chan_put(struct dma_chan *chan)
/* This channel is not in use anymore, drop the device ref */
if (!chan->client_count)
dma_device_put(chan->device);
- module_put(dma_chan_to_owner(chan));
+ module_put(owner);
}

enum dma_status dma_sync_wait(struct dma_chan *chan, dma_cookie_t cookie)
@@ -916,8 +919,6 @@ void dma_release_channel(struct dma_chan *chan)
if (--chan->device->privatecnt == 0)
dma_cap_clear(DMA_PRIVATE, chan->device->cap_mask);

- dma_chan_put(chan);
-
if (chan->slave) {
sysfs_remove_link(&chan->dev->device.kobj, DMA_SLAVE_NAME);
sysfs_remove_link(&chan->slave->kobj, chan->name);
@@ -930,6 +931,7 @@ void dma_release_channel(struct dma_chan *chan)
kfree(chan->dbg_client_name);
chan->dbg_client_name = NULL;
#endif
+ dma_chan_put(chan);
mutex_unlock(&dma_list_mutex);
}
EXPORT_SYMBOL_GPL(dma_release_channel);

--
2.43.0