Re: [PATCH v3] fork: initialize function graph state before copy_exec_state()

From: Bradley Morgan

Date: Sat Aug 22 2026 - 15:59:31 EST


On 22 August 2026 20:53:22 BST, "Jérémy Jean"
<Jeremy.Jean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>dup_task_struct() copies the parent's task_struct, including ret_stack.
>ftrace_graph_init_task() clears the copied function graph state, but it
>currently runs after copy_exec_state().
>
>For non-CLONE_VM forks, copy_exec_state() allocates a new task_exec_state.
>If that allocation fails, copy_process() reaches bad_fork_free and
>free_task() calls ftrace_graph_exit_task(). Since the child still carries
>the parent's ret_stack pointer, the unwind frees the parent's active
>function graph return stack. The parent subsequently accesses freed memory
>from function_graph_enter_regs().
>
>KASAN reports:
>
>[ 22.190920]
>==================================================================
>[ 22.195899] BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in
>function_graph_enter_regs+0xa76/0xb90
>[ 22.200747] Write of size 8 at addr ff110000054dc0a8 by task repro/1
>[ 22.205134]
>[ 22.210770] CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 1 Comm: repro Not tainted
>7.2.0-07732-g9328b3b03bdc-dirty #3 PREEMPT(lazy)
>[ 22.212576] Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (i440FX + PIIX, 1996), BIOS
>1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014
>[ 22.213750] Call Trace:
>[ 22.215271] <TASK>
>[ 22.216242] ? ftrace_stub_direct_tramp+0x10/0x10
>[ 22.217774] dump_stack_lvl+0x4e/0x70
>[ 22.220531] print_report+0x157/0x4b4
>[ 22.223202] ? fixup_red_left+0x9/0x30
>[ 22.224407] ? complete_report_info+0x83/0x110
>[ 22.226679] ? function_graph_enter_regs+0xa76/0xb90
>[ 22.228084] kasan_report+0xce/0x100
>[ 22.230109] ? function_graph_enter_regs+0xa76/0xb90
>[ 22.232860] ? stack_trace_save+0x4/0xd0
>[ 22.234156] function_graph_enter_regs+0xa76/0xb90
>[ 22.236090] ? kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50
>[ 22.237752] ? __pfx_function_graph_enter_regs+0x10/0x10
>[ 22.238694] ? ring_buffer_lock_reserve+0x345/0xf80
>[ 22.239628] ? stack_trace_save+0x4/0xd0
>[ 22.242121] ? stack_trace_save+0x4/0xd0
>[ 22.243588] ftrace_graph_func+0xda/0x160
>[ 22.245362] ? ftrace_stub_direct_tramp+0x10/0x10
>[ 22.246520] 0xffffffffa0000095
>[ 22.250528] ? stack_trace_save+0x9/0xd0
>[ 22.251757] ? ring_buffer_unlock_commit+0x11d/0x5c0
>[ 22.253152] stack_trace_save+0x9/0xd0
>[ 22.254264] kasan_save_stack+0x30/0x50
>[ 22.273631] kasan_save_track+0x14/0x30
>[ 22.276763] kasan_save_free_info+0x3b/0x70
>[ 22.278296] __kasan_slab_free+0x43/0x70
>[ 22.280157] kmem_cache_free+0xbf/0x3b0
>[ 22.282963] ? ftrace_stub_direct_tramp+0x10/0x10
>[ 22.284001] free_task+0xa2/0x160
>[ 22.285699] ? ftrace_stub_direct_tramp+0x10/0x10
>[ 22.286752] copy_process+0x2aae/0x7bc0
>
>Initialize the child function graph state immediately after
>dup_task_struct(), before the first fallible operation.
>
>Fixes: 6b1c66c9cca9 ("exec_state: relocate dumpable information")
>Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-5

Where's my R-B, nothing changed also, it's V3!!!!

>Signed-off-by: Jérémy Jean <Jeremy.Jean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>---
>Resending v2

(no! V3!!)


>as requested by adding Cc:
>linux-trace-kernel@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>Changes in v2:
>- Add the KASAN report excerpt to the commit message.
>- Add a comment documenting why ftrace_graph_init_task() must run before
> fallible initialization.
>
>v1: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260821102207.3626491-2-Jeremy.Jean@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/
>
> kernel/fork.c | 7 +++++--
> 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)
>
>diff --git a/kernel/fork.c b/kernel/fork.c
>index 1e68404bd773..0d1ad92e2d33 100644
>--- a/kernel/fork.c
>+++ b/kernel/fork.c
>@@ -2139,6 +2139,11 @@ __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
> p = dup_task_struct(current, node);
> if (!p)
> goto fork_out;
>+ /*
>+ * Must run before the first fallible op, so error paths never
>+ * free the parent's ret_stack.
>+ */
>+ ftrace_graph_init_task(p);
> retval = copy_exec_state(clone_flags, p);
> if (retval)
> goto bad_fork_free;
>@@ -2165,8 +2170,6 @@ __latent_entropy struct task_struct *copy_process(
> */
> p->clear_child_tid = (clone_flags & CLONE_CHILD_CLEARTID) ? args->child_tid : NULL;
>
>- ftrace_graph_init_task(p);
>-
> rt_mutex_init_task(p);
> raw_spin_lock_init(&p->blocked_lock);
>
>

Thanks!