[PATCH net] net/mlx5: E-Switch: fix use-after-free in mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put

From: Tariq Toukan

Date: Wed Sep 02 2026 - 16:33:35 EST


From: Yael Chemla <ychemla@xxxxxxxxxx>

In mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put(), the zero-ref cleanup check reads
tt->ref_count after termtbl_mutex has been released. Two concurrent
callers on the same mlx5_termtbl_handle race: one decrements ref_count
to zero, removes the hash entry, and calls kfree(tt) while the other
has already dropped the mutex and is about to evaluate
if (!tt->ref_count), producing a use-after-free.

Fix this by capturing the result of the decrement into a stack-local
last variable before dropping the mutex. The cleanup decision is now
made entirely under termtbl_mutex, and tt is not touched after
kfree.

Fixes: 10caabdaad5a ("net/mlx5e: Use termination table for VLAN push actions")
Signed-off-by: Yael Chemla <ychemla@xxxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Dragos Tatulea <dtatulea@xxxxxxxxxx>
Signed-off-by: Tariq Toukan <tariqt@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
.../ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads_termtbl.c | 7 +++++--
1 file changed, 5 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads_termtbl.c b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads_termtbl.c
index 19f65d4c4def..d43f07360159 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads_termtbl.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ethernet/mellanox/mlx5/core/eswitch_offloads_termtbl.c
@@ -163,12 +163,15 @@ void
mlx5_eswitch_termtbl_put(struct mlx5_eswitch *esw,
struct mlx5_termtbl_handle *tt)
{
+ bool last;
+
mutex_lock(&esw->offloads.termtbl_mutex);
- if (--tt->ref_count == 0)
+ last = (--tt->ref_count == 0);
+ if (last)
hash_del(&tt->termtbl_hlist);
mutex_unlock(&esw->offloads.termtbl_mutex);

- if (!tt->ref_count) {
+ if (last) {
mlx5_del_flow_rules(tt->rule);
mlx5_destroy_flow_table(tt->termtbl);
kfree(tt);
--
2.44.0