[PATCH] landlock: Fix use-after-free of the source's parent directory
From: Norbert Szetei
Date: Sat Aug 22 2026 - 08:29:18 EST
current_check_refer_path() reads old_dentry->d_parent without holding a
reference nor a lock on it, and then dereferences it in
collect_domain_accesses() and in the audit record.
A reference on a child does not pin its parent: __d_move() reassigns
dentry->d_parent and drops the reference the child held on its former
parent. hook_path_rename() is not affected because the rename path calls
lock_rename() before the hook, so the source cannot be reparented under
it. hook_path_link() has no such protection: do_linkat() holds a
reference on the source dentry but neither locks nor references its
parent, so a concurrent rename(2) can reparent the source while
security_path_link() runs, and the former parent can then be removed and
freed while the hook walks it.
Any process able to sandbox itself with LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_REFER can
trigger this with a linkat(2) loop racing rename(2) and rmdir(2):
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in collect_domain_accesses+0x278/0x290
Read of size 4 at addr ffff888160bd53f4 by task llrepro2/549
collect_domain_accesses+0x278/0x290
current_check_refer_path+0x952/0x1120
security_path_link+0x1be/0x320
filename_linkat+0x342/0x6d0
__x64_sys_linkat+0xfa/0x150
Freed by task 562:
kmem_cache_free+0x139/0x4c0
i_callback+0x4b/0x80
rcu_core+0x7dc/0x10a0
Take a reference on the parent with dget_parent(), and release it once
the hierarchy walk and the audit record are done.
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fixes: b91c3e4ea756 ("landlock: Add support for file reparenting with LANDLOCK_ACCESS_FS_REFER")
Signed-off-by: Norbert Szetei <norbert@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
security/landlock/fs.c | 18 ++++++++++++------
1 file changed, 12 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)
diff --git a/security/landlock/fs.c b/security/landlock/fs.c
index 30aa6ce13590..200c83372bbe 100644
--- a/security/landlock/fs.c
+++ b/security/landlock/fs.c
@@ -1298,11 +1298,12 @@ static int current_check_refer_path(struct dentry *const old_dentry,
/*
* old_dentry may be the root of the common mount point and
* !IS_ROOT(old_dentry) at the same time (e.g. with open_tree() and
- * OPEN_TREE_CLONE). We do not need to call dget(old_parent) because
- * we keep a reference to old_dentry.
+ * OPEN_TREE_CLONE). Pins the parent in both cases: a reference on
+ * old_dentry does not pin its parent, which may then be freed after a
+ * concurrent rename(2).
*/
- old_parent = (old_dentry == mnt_dir.dentry) ? old_dentry :
- old_dentry->d_parent;
+ old_parent = (old_dentry == mnt_dir.dentry) ? dget(old_dentry) :
+ dget_parent(old_dentry);
/* new_dir->dentry is equal to new_dentry->d_parent */
allow_parent1 = collect_domain_accesses(subject->domain, mnt_dir.dentry,
@@ -1311,8 +1312,10 @@ static int current_check_refer_path(struct dentry *const old_dentry,
allow_parent2 = collect_domain_accesses(subject->domain, mnt_dir.dentry,
new_dir->dentry,
&layer_masks_parent2);
- if (allow_parent1 && allow_parent2)
+ if (allow_parent1 && allow_parent2) {
+ dput(old_parent);
return 0;
+ }
/*
* To be able to compare source and destination domain access rights,
@@ -1324,8 +1327,10 @@ static int current_check_refer_path(struct dentry *const old_dentry,
subject->domain, &mnt_dir, access_request_parent1,
&layer_masks_parent1, &request1, old_dentry,
access_request_parent2, &layer_masks_parent2, &request2,
- exchange ? new_dentry : NULL))
+ exchange ? new_dentry : NULL)) {
+ dput(old_parent);
return 0;
+ }
if (request1.access) {
request1.audit.u.path.dentry = old_parent;
@@ -1335,6 +1340,7 @@ static int current_check_refer_path(struct dentry *const old_dentry,
request2.audit.u.path.dentry = new_dir->dentry;
landlock_log_denial(subject, &request2);
}
+ dput(old_parent);
/*
* This prioritizes EACCES over EXDEV for all actions, including
--
2.55.0