[PATCH net] net/sched: defer qdisc freeing after failed creation

From: Kyle Zeng <[email protected]>

A qdisc's init callback can publish state to RCU readers before
qdisc_create() completes. In particular, clsact_init() binds a populated
shared ingress block and installs an embedded mini_Qdisc in
dev->tcx_ingress. If subsequent rate estimator setup fails, the unwind
removes that pointer but qdisc_free() immediately releases the qdisc and
its per-CPU statistics. A reader that obtained the miniq before removal
can then access freed memory.

Add qdisc_free_rcu() and use it for the creation error path, matching
normal qdisc destruction. This keeps the embedded miniq and the per-CPU
statistics alive until pre-existing readers complete.

Fixes: 51ab2994c387 ("net: sched: allow ingress and clsact qdiscs to share filter blocks")
Assisted-by: Codex:gpt-5.6-sol Codex:gpt-5.5-cyber
Signed-off-by: Kyle Zeng <[email protected]>
Signed-off-by: David Lee <[email protected]>
---
Bug found and triaged by OpenAI Security Research and
validated by Trail of Bits.

Trail of Bits has a reproducer for this bug that triggers a
KASAN use-after-free and can share if needed.

 include/net/sch_generic.h | 1 +
 net/sched/sch_api.c       | 2 +-
 net/sched/sch_generic.c   | 7 ++++++-
 3 files changed, 8 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/net/sch_generic.h b/include/net/sch_generic.h
index 45a1e8c782..d45442c926 100644
--- a/include/net/sch_generic.h
+++ b/include/net/sch_generic.h
@@ -793,6 +793,7 @@ struct Qdisc *qdisc_alloc(struct netdev_queue *dev_queue,
 			  const struct Qdisc_ops *ops,
 			  struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
 void qdisc_free(struct Qdisc *qdisc);
+void qdisc_free_rcu(struct Qdisc *qdisc);
 struct Qdisc *qdisc_create_dflt(struct netdev_queue *dev_queue,
 				const struct Qdisc_ops *ops, u32 parentid,
 				struct netlink_ext_ack *extack);
diff --git a/net/sched/sch_api.c b/net/sched/sch_api.c
index 668bcd60d1..041bd60072 100644
--- a/net/sched/sch_api.c
+++ b/net/sched/sch_api.c
@@ -1373,7 +1373,7 @@ static struct Qdisc *qdisc_create(struct net_device *dev,
 err_out3:
 	qdisc_lock_uninit(sch, ops);
 	netdev_put(dev, &sch->dev_tracker);
-	qdisc_free(sch);
+	qdisc_free_rcu(sch);
 err_out2:
 	bpf_module_put(ops, ops->owner);
 err_out:
diff --git a/net/sched/sch_generic.c b/net/sched/sch_generic.c
index ef2b4bf515..86d551fbab 100644
--- a/net/sched/sch_generic.c
+++ b/net/sched/sch_generic.c
@@ -1103,6 +1103,11 @@ static void qdisc_free_cb(struct rcu_head *head)
 	qdisc_free(q);
 }
 
+void qdisc_free_rcu(struct Qdisc *qdisc)
+{
+	call_rcu(&qdisc->rcu, qdisc_free_cb);
+}
+
 static void __qdisc_destroy(struct Qdisc *qdisc)
 {
 	const struct Qdisc_ops  *ops = qdisc->ops;
@@ -1127,7 +1132,7 @@ static void __qdisc_destroy(struct Qdisc *qdisc)
 
 	trace_qdisc_destroy(qdisc);
 
-	call_rcu(&qdisc->rcu, qdisc_free_cb);
+	qdisc_free_rcu(qdisc);
 }
 
 void qdisc_destroy(struct Qdisc *qdisc)
-- 
2.53.0