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null_blk: fix mutex initialization and configfs teardown race#1037

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null_blk: fix mutex initialization and configfs teardown race#1037
blktests-ci[bot] wants to merge 3 commits into
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@blktests-ci blktests-ci Bot commented Jul 6, 2026

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Pull request for series with
subject: null_blk: fix mutex initialization and configfs teardown race
version: 1
url: https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-block/list/?series=1122354

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blktests-ci Bot commented Jul 6, 2026

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Upstream branch: 8cdeaa5
series: https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-block/list/?series=1122354
version: 1

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blktests-ci Bot commented Jul 6, 2026

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Upstream branch: 8cdeaa5
series: https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-block/list/?series=1122354
version: 1

@blktests-ci blktests-ci Bot force-pushed the series/1122354=>linus-master branch from 8da79b9 to 62872ca Compare July 6, 2026 13:51
@blktests-ci blktests-ci Bot force-pushed the linus-master_base branch from a644c13 to a2204c3 Compare July 7, 2026 08:33
In null_init(), mutex_init(&lock) currently happens after
configfs_register_subsystem(), which exposes the nullb subsystem to
userspace. A racing mkdir() into /sys/kernel/config/nullb/ can reach
null_find_dev_by_name() -> mutex_lock(&lock) before the mutex is
initialized, trigger warning:

[  123.137788] DEBUG_LOCKS_WARN_ON(lock->magic != lock)
[  123.137796] WARNING: kernel/locking/mutex.c:159 at mutex_lock+0x171/0x1c0, CPU#13: mkdir/1301
[  123.140090] Modules linked in: null_blk(+) nft_fib_inet nft_fib_ipv4
......
[  123.154926] Call Trace:
[  123.155172]  <TASK>
[  123.155419]  ? __pfx_mutex_lock+0x10/0x10
[  123.156181]  ? __pfx__raw_spin_lock+0x10/0x10
[  123.156571]  nullb_group_make_group+0x20/0x100 [null_blk]
[  123.157011]  configfs_mkdir+0x47b/0xc70
[  123.157337]  ? __pfx_configfs_mkdir+0x10/0x10
[  123.157719]  ? may_create_dentry+0x242/0x2e0
[  123.158061]  vfs_mkdir+0x2a9/0x6c0
[  123.158352]  filename_mkdirat+0x3dc/0x500
[  123.158710]  ? __pfx_filename_mkdirat+0x10/0x10
[  123.159070]  ? strncpy_from_user+0x3a/0x1d0
[  123.159413]  __x64_sys_mkdir+0x6b/0x90
[  123.159760]  do_syscall_64+0xea/0x600

Replace the runtime mutex_init(&lock) with a static DEFINE_MUTEX(lock)
declaration to fix this issue.

Fixes: 49c3b92 ("block: null_blk: Improve device creation with configfs")
Suggested-by: Bart Van Assche <bvanassche@acm.org>
Signed-off-by: Zizhi Wo <wozizhi@huawei.com>
Reviewed-by: Bart Van Assche <bvanassche@acm.org>
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blktests-ci Bot commented Jul 7, 2026

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Upstream branch: 0e35b9b
series: https://patchwork.kernel.org/project/linux-block/list/?series=1122354
version: 1

Zizhi Wo added 2 commits July 7, 2026 08:41
The file-scope lock mutex mainly serializes access to the global nullb_list
and related device setup. Rename it to "nullb_list_lock" to make its
purpose clear. No functional change.

Suggested-by: Bart Van Assche <bvanassche@acm.org>
Signed-off-by: Zizhi Wo <wozizhi@huawei.com>
In null_init(), configfs_register_subsystem() currently runs before
register_blkdev(), so when null_blk is built as a module, a racing mkdir()
+ poweron from userspace can reach null_add_dev() while null_major is still
0. __add_disk() then hits WARN_ON(disk->minors) (major=0 with minors!=0)
and fails:

[root@fedora ~]# [ 2366.521436] WARNING: block/genhd.c:476 at __add_disk+0x8a7/0xde0,
[ 2366.523552] Modules linked in: null_blk(+) nft_fib_inet nft_fib_ipv4 nft_fib_ipv6 nft_fib
[ 2366.529081] CPU: 26 UID: 0 PID: 1600 Comm: sh Not tainted 7.2.0-rc1+ #66 PREEMPT(full)
......
[ 2366.547251] Call Trace:
[ 2366.547575]  <TASK>
[ 2366.547831]  ? _raw_spin_lock+0x84/0xe0
[ 2366.548260]  add_disk_fwnode+0x114/0x560
[ 2366.548739]  null_add_dev+0x102d/0x1b80 [null_blk]
[ 2366.549310]  ? __pfx_null_add_dev+0x10/0x10 [null_blk]
[ 2366.549906]  ? mutex_lock+0xde/0x1c0
[ 2366.550361]  ? __pfx_mutex_lock+0x10/0x10
[ 2366.550827]  nullb_device_power_store+0x1e7/0x280 [null_blk]
[ 2366.551499]  ? __pfx_nullb_device_power_store+0x10/0x10 [null_blk]
[ 2366.552177]  ? __kmalloc_cache_noprof+0x1f5/0x470
[ 2366.552748]  ? configfs_write_iter+0x35c/0x4e0
[ 2366.553242]  configfs_write_iter+0x286/0x4e0
[ 2366.553787]  vfs_write+0x52d/0xd00
[ 2366.554169]  ? __pfx_vfs_write+0x10/0x10
[ 2366.554679]  ? __pfx___css_rstat_updated+0x10/0x10
[ 2366.555196]  ? fdget_pos+0x1cf/0x4c0
[ 2366.555649]  ksys_write+0xfc/0x1d0
......

Additionally, the err_dev path destroys all devices on nullb_list while
configfs is still registered. If a racing mkdir() + poweron puts a user
device on the list, null_destroy_dev()->null_free_dev() kfrees the user
device's nullb_device but /sys/kernel/config/nullb/<name> is still
reachable. Any userspace access to the item will trigger a UAF.

For simplicity, move configfs_register_subsystem() to the end to solve
the problems above. This also mirrors null_exit().

Fixes: 3bf2bd2 ("nullb: add configfs interface")
Signed-off-by: Zizhi Wo <wozizhi@huawei.com>
@blktests-ci blktests-ci Bot force-pushed the series/1122354=>linus-master branch from 62872ca to 596c0a6 Compare July 7, 2026 08:41
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