Re: unix_stream_connect and socket address resolution

On Tue, 21 Jul 2026 16:37:07 -0400
"John Ericson" <[email protected]> wrote:

> In case this is useful or interesting to anyone, I deep a some history
> spelunking, and the restart logic in question seems to date back to
> Import 2.2.4pre6:
> 
> https://github.com/tbodt/linux-history/commit/7d4fc34b9bbc0a14d3e5f6b2f978373422e1ca8a#diff-0553d076c243e06ae312480cb8cb52f1cebe1d80fc099d3842593e12c9e0d4f3
> 
> ---
> @@ -673,9 +703,25 @@ static int unix_stream_connect(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *uaddr,
>  	   we will have to recheck all again in any case.
>  	 */
>  
> +restart:
>  	/*  Find listening sock */
>  	other=unix_find_other(sunaddr, addr_len, sk->type, hash, &err);
>  
> +	if (!other)
> +		return -ECONNREFUSED;
> +
> +	while (other->ack_backlog >= other->max_ack_backlog) {
> +		unix_unlock(other);

This unlocks the socket - I doubt it makes sense to sleep with it locked.

> +		if (other->dead || other->state != TCP_LISTEN)
> +			return -ECONNREFUSED;

Those look like potential UAF.
Hopefully changed in the current code!

> +		if (flags & O_NONBLOCK)
> +			return -EAGAIN;
> +		interruptible_sleep_on(&unix_ack_wqueue);
> +		if (signal_pending(current))
> +			return -ERESTARTSYS;
> +		goto restart;

Since 'other' was unlocked the search must be repated.

	David

> +        }
> +
>  	/* create new sock for complete connection */
>  	newsk = unix_create1(NULL, 1);
>  
> @@ -704,7 +750,7 @@ static int unix_stream_connect(struct socket *sock, struct sockaddr *uaddr,
>  
>  	/* Check that listener is in valid state. */
>  	err = -ECONNREFUSED;
> -	if (other == NULL || other->dead || other->state != TCP_LISTEN)
> +	if (other->dead || other->state != TCP_LISTEN)
>  		goto out;
>  
>  	err = -ENOMEM;
> ---
> 
> My question can be basically restated: why should the `restart` label
> not go *after* the `unix_find_other` call?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> John
>