Re: [PATCH] software node: only let the owner release a managed node

[Vivekanandan, Balasubramani]

On 02.11.2026 16:25, Bartosz Golaszewski wrote:
> device_create_managed_software_node() creates a node whose lifetime is
> tied to the device it was created for. software_node_notify_remove() is
> called for every device that has the node as its fwnode (primary OR
> secondary) and, if the node is managed, unconditionally detaches it from
> that device and drops the creation reference.
> 
> This breaks when the node is shared with another device. Example: the
> i2c-designware copies the parent's fwnode to the adapter's struct device.
> When the adapter is deleted, it releases the reference that belongs to
> the owner and the latter ends up with a dangling pointer.
> 
> Record the device's "manager" and only perform the actual release when
> notify is called for that "owner" device.
> 
> Reported-by: Balasubramani Vivekanandan <balasubramani.vivekanandan@xxxxxxxxx>
> Closes: https://lore.kernel.org/all/20261009164241.923756-2-balasubramani.vivekanandan@xxxxxxxxx/
> Fixes: 151f6ff78cdf ("software node: Provide replacement for device_add_properties()")
> Signed-off-by: Bartosz Golaszewski <bartosz.golaszewski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> Hi!
> 
> This is my approach at addressing the bug reported by Vivekanandan
> directly in driver core. Please test it if you can.
> 
> Thanks,
> Bartosz
> ---
>  drivers/base/swnode.c | 12 +++++++++---
>  1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 3 deletions(-)

Do you want to update the comment above
device_create_managed_software_node() which says reusing or sharing of
software nodes created by the function is restricted?

Reviewed-by: Balasubramani Vivekanandan <balasubramani.vivekanandan@xxxxxxxxx>

Regards,
Bala

> 
> diff --git a/drivers/base/swnode.c b/drivers/base/swnode.c
> index 84a77ffa3dc4bbcca62bbe67c3390693500b01ea..abb6d6d59d59cb4e605fc31cc7e89f92e9f900a6 100644
> --- a/drivers/base/swnode.c
> +++ b/drivers/base/swnode.c
> @@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ struct swnode {
>  	struct fwnode_handle fwnode;
>  	const struct software_node *node;
>  	int id;
> +	/* Device the managed node's lifetime is tied to. */
> +	struct device *owner;
>  
>  	/* hierarchy */
>  	struct ida child_ids;
> @@ -37,7 +39,6 @@ struct swnode {
>  	struct swnode *parent;
>  
>  	unsigned int allocated:1;
> -	unsigned int managed:1;
>  };
>  
>  static DEFINE_IDA(swnode_root_ids);
> @@ -1145,7 +1146,7 @@ int device_create_managed_software_node(struct device *dev,
>  	if (IS_ERR(fwnode))
>  		return PTR_ERR(fwnode);
>  
> -	to_swnode(fwnode)->managed = true;
> +	to_swnode(fwnode)->owner = dev;
>  	set_secondary_fwnode(dev, fwnode);
>  
>  	if (device_is_registered(dev))
> @@ -1190,6 +1191,7 @@ void software_node_notify(struct device *dev)
>  void software_node_notify_remove(struct device *dev)
>  {
>  	struct swnode *swnode;
> +	bool is_owner;
>  
>  	swnode = dev_to_swnode(dev);
>  	if (!swnode)
> @@ -1206,9 +1208,13 @@ void software_node_notify_remove(struct device *dev)
>  	if (!device_match_fwnode(dev, &swnode->fwnode) && swnode->fwnode.dev == dev)
>  		swnode->fwnode.dev = NULL;
>  
> +	is_owner = swnode->owner && swnode->owner == dev;
> +	if (is_owner)
> +		swnode->owner = NULL;
> +
>  	swnode_put(swnode);
>  
> -	if (swnode->managed) {
> +	if (is_owner) {
>  		set_secondary_fwnode(dev, NULL);
>  		swnode_put(swnode);
>  	}
> 
> ---
> base-commit: 7649ba73f9e7e1e04d0b46213e39c79ae09dd55c
> change-id: 20261102-swnode-only-owner-release-45efdc7123e1
> 
> Best regards,
> -- 
> Bartosz Golaszewski <bartosz.golaszewski@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>