Commit ec19ed2b3e2a for kernel
commit ec19ed2b3e2af8ec5380400cdee9cb6560144506
Author: Chaitanya Kulkarni <ckulkarnilinux@gmail.com>
Date: Mon Jan 12 15:19:28 2026 -0800
rnbd-clt: fix refcount underflow in device unmap path
During device unmapping (triggered by module unload or explicit unmap),
a refcount underflow occurs causing a use-after-free warning:
[14747.574913] ------------[ cut here ]------------
[14747.574916] refcount_t: underflow; use-after-free.
[14747.574917] WARNING: lib/refcount.c:28 at refcount_warn_saturate+0x55/0x90, CPU#9: kworker/9:1/378
[14747.574924] Modules linked in: rnbd_client(-) rtrs_client rnbd_server rtrs_server rtrs_core ...
[14747.574998] CPU: 9 UID: 0 PID: 378 Comm: kworker/9:1 Tainted: G O N 6.19.0-rc3lblk-fnext+ #42 PREEMPT(voluntary)
[14747.575005] Workqueue: rnbd_clt_wq unmap_device_work [rnbd_client]
[14747.575010] RIP: 0010:refcount_warn_saturate+0x55/0x90
[14747.575037] Call Trace:
[14747.575038] <TASK>
[14747.575038] rnbd_clt_unmap_device+0x170/0x1d0 [rnbd_client]
[14747.575044] process_one_work+0x211/0x600
[14747.575052] worker_thread+0x184/0x330
[14747.575055] ? __pfx_worker_thread+0x10/0x10
[14747.575058] kthread+0x10d/0x250
[14747.575062] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
[14747.575066] ret_from_fork+0x319/0x390
[14747.575069] ? __pfx_kthread+0x10/0x10
[14747.575072] ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30
[14747.575083] </TASK>
[14747.575096] ---[ end trace 0000000000000000 ]---
Befor this patch :-
The bug is a double kobject_put() on dev->kobj during device cleanup.
Kobject Lifecycle:
kobject_init_and_add() sets kobj.kref = 1 (initialization)
kobject_put() sets kobj.kref = 0 (should be called once)
* Before this patch:
rnbd_clt_unmap_device()
rnbd_destroy_sysfs()
kobject_del(&dev->kobj) [remove from sysfs]
kobject_put(&dev->kobj) PUT #1 (WRONG!)
kref: 1 to 0
rnbd_dev_release()
kfree(dev) [DEVICE FREED!]
rnbd_destroy_gen_disk() [use-after-free!]
rnbd_clt_put_dev()
refcount_dec_and_test(&dev->refcount)
kobject_put(&dev->kobj) PUT #2 (UNDERFLOW!)
kref: 0 to -1 [WARNING!]
The first kobject_put() in rnbd_destroy_sysfs() prematurely frees the
device via rnbd_dev_release(), then the second kobject_put() in
rnbd_clt_put_dev() causes refcount underflow.
* After this patch :-
Remove kobject_put() from rnbd_destroy_sysfs(). This function should
only remove sysfs visibility (kobject_del), not manage object lifetime.
Call Graph (FIXED):
rnbd_clt_unmap_device()
rnbd_destroy_sysfs()
kobject_del(&dev->kobj) [remove from sysfs only]
[kref unchanged: 1]
rnbd_destroy_gen_disk() [device still valid]
rnbd_clt_put_dev()
refcount_dec_and_test(&dev->refcount)
kobject_put(&dev->kobj) ONLY PUT (CORRECT!)
kref: 1 to 0 [BALANCED]
rnbd_dev_release()
kfree(dev) [CLEAN DESTRUCTION]
This follows the kernel pattern where sysfs removal (kobject_del) is
separate from object destruction (kobject_put).
Fixes: 581cf833cac4 ("block: rnbd: add .release to rnbd_dev_ktype")
Signed-off-by: Chaitanya Kulkarni <ckulkarnilinux@gmail.com>
Acked-by: Jack Wang <jinpu.wang@ionos.com>
Reviewed-by: Jack Wang <jinpu.wang@ionos.com>
Signed-off-by: Jens Axboe <axboe@kernel.dk>
diff --git a/drivers/block/rnbd/rnbd-clt.c b/drivers/block/rnbd/rnbd-clt.c
index d1c354636315..8194a970f002 100644
--- a/drivers/block/rnbd/rnbd-clt.c
+++ b/drivers/block/rnbd/rnbd-clt.c
@@ -1662,7 +1662,6 @@ static void destroy_sysfs(struct rnbd_clt_dev *dev,
/* To avoid deadlock firstly remove itself */
sysfs_remove_file_self(&dev->kobj, sysfs_self);
kobject_del(&dev->kobj);
- kobject_put(&dev->kobj);
}
}