[PATCH bpf-next v2 1/2] bpf: Invalidate RCU pointers after final spin unlock

Ning Ding <[email protected]> Mon, 3 Aug 2026 04:26:08 -0700
Newsgroups org.kernel.vger.bpf,org.kernel.vger.linux-kernel
Message-ID <[email protected]>
In a sleepable BPF program, a spin lock can provide the only RCU protection
for a kptr. The final bpf_spin_unlock() ends that protection, but the
verifier leaves the pointer valid. Another CPU can then free the object
before the pointer is used. A capability-limited runtime PoC triggered a
task_struct use-after-free in __bpf_get_task_stack().

Record whether the program is in an RCU-protected context before releasing
the lock. Invalidate RCU-protected pointers only when the unlock leaves the
final such context. This preserves valid pointers in non-sleepable programs
and inside an explicit RCU read-side section.

Fixes: 5861d1e8dbc4 ("bpf: Allow bpf_spin_{lock,unlock} in sleepable progs")
Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-5.6-sol
Assisted-by: ChatGPT:GPT-5.6-Pro
Signed-off-by: Ning Ding <[email protected]>
---
 kernel/bpf/verifier.c | 5 +++++
 1 file changed, 5 insertions(+)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
index b274004fccfd9..7439afdc851a7 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/verifier.c
@@ -206,6 +206,7 @@ static int acquire_reference(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int insn_idx, int par
 static int release_reference_nomark(struct bpf_verifier_state *state, int id);
 static int release_reference(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, int id);
 static void invalidate_non_owning_refs(struct bpf_verifier_env *env);
+static void invalidate_rcu_protected_refs(struct bpf_verifier_env *env);
 static bool in_rbtree_lock_required_cb(struct bpf_verifier_env *env);
 static bool is_tracing_prog_type(enum bpf_prog_type type);
 static int ref_set_non_owning(struct bpf_verifier_env *env,
@@ -7165,6 +7166,7 @@ static int process_spin_lock(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_reg_state
 			return err;
 		}
 	} else {
+		bool was_in_rcu_cs;
 		void *ptr;
 		int type;
 
@@ -7192,10 +7194,13 @@ static int process_spin_lock(struct bpf_verifier_env *env, struct bpf_reg_state
 			verbose(env, "%s_unlock cannot be out of order\n", lock_str);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
+		was_in_rcu_cs = in_rcu_cs(env);
 		if (release_lock_state(cur, type, reg->id, ptr)) {
 			verbose(env, "%s_unlock of different lock\n", lock_str);
 			return -EINVAL;
 		}
+		if (was_in_rcu_cs && !in_rcu_cs(env))
+			invalidate_rcu_protected_refs(env);
 
 		invalidate_non_owning_refs(env);
 	}
-- 
2.43.0