Re: [PATCH] KVM: Remove the kvm debugfs directory if kvm_init() fails

On Fri, Aug 07, 2026, Zeng Chi wrote:
> From: zengchi <[email protected]>
> 
> kvm_init_debug() creates the "kvm" debugfs directory along with all of
> the VM/vCPU stat files, but none of kvm_init()'s error paths removes it.
> If kvm_vfio_ops_init(), kvm_gmem_init(), kvm_init_virtualization() or
> misc_register() fails, the directory is leaked, and none of kvm_init()'s
> callers invokes kvm_exit() on failure, i.e. nothing papers over the
> leak.
> 
> The stale /sys/kernel/debug/kvm directory isn't just cosmetic: a
> subsequent attempt to load KVM makes debugfs_create_dir() fail with
> -EEXIST, after which kvm_debugfs_dir holds an ERR_PTR and all stat
> files are silently never created again.  Worse, the leaked stat files
> reference file_operations and stat data that live in the KVM module; if
> the module is unloaded after the failed initialization, reading the
> stale files is a use-after-free.
> 
> Remove the debugfs directory in the error path, mirroring kvm_exit().
> 
> Fixes: 2b0128127373 ("KVM: Register /dev/kvm as the _very_ last thing during initialization")
> Cc: [email protected]
> Signed-off-by: zengchi <[email protected]>
> ---
>  virt/kvm/kvm_main.c | 1 +
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+)
> 
> diff --git a/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c b/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
> index 45e784462ec6..8a503ac1adbd 100644
> --- a/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
> +++ b/virt/kvm/kvm_main.c
> @@ -6553,6 +6553,7 @@ int kvm_init(unsigned vcpu_size, unsigned vcpu_align, struct module *module)
>  err_gmem:
>  	kvm_vfio_ops_exit();
>  err_vfio:
> +	debugfs_remove_recursive(kvm_debugfs_dir);
>  	kvm_async_pf_deinit();
>  err_async_pf:
>  	kvm_irqfd_exit();
> -- 

Already posted (twice) and applied:

https://lore.kernel.org/all/[email protected]