[PATCH net] ppp: fix race conditions in ppp_fill_forward_path
From: Qingfang Deng
Date: Mon Aug 11 2025 - 04:44:52 EST
ppp_fill_forward_path() has two race conditions:
1. The ppp->channels list can change between list_empty() and
list_first_entry(), as ppp_lock() is not held. If the only channel
is deleted in ppp_disconnect_channel(), list_first_entry() may
access an empty head or a freed entry, and trigger a panic.
2. pch->chan can be NULL. When ppp_unregister_channel() is called,
pch->chan is set to NULL before pch is removed from ppp->channels.
Fix these by using a lockless RCU approach:
- Use list_first_or_null_rcu() to safely test and access the first list
entry.
- Convert list modifications on ppp->channels to their RCU variants and
add synchronize_rcu() after removal.
- Check for a NULL pch->chan before dereferencing it.
Fixes: f6efc675c9dd ("net: ppp: resolve forwarding path for bridge pppoe devices")
Signed-off-by: Qingfang Deng <dqfext@xxxxxxxxx>
---
drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c | 13 +++++++++----
1 file changed, 9 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)
diff --git a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
index 8c98cbd4b06d..fd3ac75a56e3 100644
--- a/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
+++ b/drivers/net/ppp/ppp_generic.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
#include <linux/ppp_channel.h>
#include <linux/ppp-comp.h>
#include <linux/skbuff.h>
+#include <linux/rculist.h>
#include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
#include <linux/if_arp.h>
#include <linux/ip.h>
@@ -1598,11 +1599,14 @@ static int ppp_fill_forward_path(struct net_device_path_ctx *ctx,
if (ppp->flags & SC_MULTILINK)
return -EOPNOTSUPP;
- if (list_empty(&ppp->channels))
+ pch = list_first_or_null_rcu(&ppp->channels, struct channel, clist);
+ if (!pch)
return -ENODEV;
- pch = list_first_entry(&ppp->channels, struct channel, clist);
chan = pch->chan;
+ if (!chan)
+ return -ENODEV;
+
if (!chan->ops->fill_forward_path)
return -EOPNOTSUPP;
@@ -3515,7 +3519,7 @@ ppp_connect_channel(struct channel *pch, int unit)
hdrlen = pch->file.hdrlen + 2; /* for protocol bytes */
if (hdrlen > ppp->dev->hard_header_len)
ppp->dev->hard_header_len = hdrlen;
- list_add_tail(&pch->clist, &ppp->channels);
+ list_add_tail_rcu(&pch->clist, &ppp->channels);
++ppp->n_channels;
pch->ppp = ppp;
refcount_inc(&ppp->file.refcnt);
@@ -3545,10 +3549,11 @@ ppp_disconnect_channel(struct channel *pch)
if (ppp) {
/* remove it from the ppp unit's list */
ppp_lock(ppp);
- list_del(&pch->clist);
+ list_del_rcu(&pch->clist);
if (--ppp->n_channels == 0)
wake_up_interruptible(&ppp->file.rwait);
ppp_unlock(ppp);
+ synchronize_rcu();
if (refcount_dec_and_test(&ppp->file.refcnt))
ppp_destroy_interface(ppp);
err = 0;
--
2.43.0