[PATCH] pinmux: fix race causing mux_owner NULL with active mux_usecount

From: Mukesh Ojha
Date: Fri Jun 20 2025 - 12:44:06 EST


Commit ("pinmux: Use sequential access to access desc->pinmux data")
tried to address the issue when two client of the same gpio calls
pinctrl_select_state() for the same functionality, was resulting in
NULL pointer issue while accessing desc->mux_owner. However, issue
was not completely fixed due to the way it was handled and it can
still result in the same NULL pointer.

The issue occurs due to the following interleaving:

cpu0 (process A) cpu1 (process B)

pin_request() { pin_free() {

mutex_lock()
desc->mux_usecount--; //becomes 0
..
mutex_unlock()

mutex_lock(desc->mux)
desc->mux_usecount++; // becomes 1
desc->mux_owner = owner;
mutex_unlock(desc->mux)

mutex_lock(desc->mux)
desc->mux_owner = NULL;
mutex_unlock(desc->mux)

This sequence leads to a state where the pin appears to be in use
(`mux_usecount == 1`) but has no owner (`mux_owner == NULL`), which can
cause NULL pointer on next pin_request on the same pin.

Ensure that updates to mux_usecount and mux_owner are performed
atomically under the same lock. Only clear mux_owner when mux_usecount
reaches zero and no new owner has been assigned.

Signed-off-by: Mukesh Ojha <mukesh.ojha@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c | 21 ++++++++++-----------
1 file changed, 10 insertions(+), 11 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c b/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c
index 0743190da59e..1cea04d57ca2 100644
--- a/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c
+++ b/drivers/pinctrl/pinmux.c
@@ -235,19 +235,9 @@ static const char *pin_free(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev, int pin,
desc->mux_usecount--;
if (desc->mux_usecount)
return NULL;
- }
- }

- /*
- * If there is no kind of request function for the pin we just assume
- * we got it by default and proceed.
- */
- if (gpio_range && ops->gpio_disable_free)
- ops->gpio_disable_free(pctldev, gpio_range, pin);
- else if (ops->free)
- ops->free(pctldev, pin);
+ }

- scoped_guard(mutex, &desc->mux_lock) {
if (gpio_range) {
owner = desc->gpio_owner;
desc->gpio_owner = NULL;
@@ -258,6 +248,15 @@ static const char *pin_free(struct pinctrl_dev *pctldev, int pin,
}
}

+ /*
+ * If there is no kind of request function for the pin we just assume
+ * we got it by default and proceed.
+ */
+ if (gpio_range && ops->gpio_disable_free)
+ ops->gpio_disable_free(pctldev, gpio_range, pin);
+ else if (ops->free)
+ ops->free(pctldev, pin);
+
module_put(pctldev->owner);

return owner;
--
2.34.1