[RFC PATCH 0/4] device_schedule_reprobe(): core helper and conversions
From: Daniel Golle <daniel@makrotopia.org>
Date: 2026-08-11 00:47:47
Also in:
driver-core, linux-bluetooth, linux-wireless, lkml
Three in-tree drivers (iwlwifi, hci_h5, btintel_pcie) schedule a deferred re-probe of their own device from a work item in module text. The hand-rolled copies share two bug classes: the work function ends with module_put(THIS_MODULE), racing a concurrent rmmod freeing the module text (the race module_put_and_kthread_exit() exists to close for kthreads), and nothing synchronizes the deferred detach against device_shutdown() or an administrative unbind. Patch 1 moves the deferred work into the driver core. device_schedule_reprobe() runs builtin code, so no module reference is needed; it checks under a single __device_driver_lock() hold that the device is still bound to the driver that scheduled the re-probe, and skips the detach once device_shutdown() has reached the device (a new one-bit shutdown_done flag in struct device_private). Patches 2 and 3 are mechanical conversions. Patch 4 (btintel_pcie) also removes that driver's remove()-from-own-work contract; it changes more and can be dropped without affecting patches 1-3. This grew out of review of the mxl862xx DSA series [1][2], which copied the iwlwifi pattern. There ->shutdown() clears drvdata so that ->remove() becomes a no-op, a stale re-probe escalates to use-after-free, and its v10 cover letter walks through why a driver cannot fully close the race itself: device_shutdown() holds device_lock() across ->shutdown() and device_reprobe() takes the same lock, so any driver-side check remains a TOCTOU. The helper closes it in the core; mxl862xx will convert once it lands. Testing: checkpatch --strict and kernel-doc clean. Patches 1-3 were runtime-tested (backported to 7.0.11) on Intel AX101 hardware with PROVE_LOCKING and DEBUG_OBJECTS_WORK, driving iwlwifi's crash escalation into the re-probe path: normal detach+rebind, an unbind racing a pending re-probe (the unbind is not undone), rmmod with a re-probe pending (now succeeds instead of EBUSY), and reboot with a re-probe pending; no lockdep or debugobjects reports. hci_h5 and btintel_pcie are compile-tested only. [1] https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1786294649.git.daniel@makrotopia.org/ (local) [2] https://sashiko.dev/#/patchset/cover.1786294649.git.daniel%40makrotopia.org Daniel Golle (4): driver core: add device_schedule_reprobe() wifi: iwlwifi: use device_schedule_reprobe() Bluetooth: hci_h5: use device_schedule_reprobe() Bluetooth: btintel_pcie: use device_schedule_reprobe() after reset drivers/base/base.h | 5 ++ drivers/base/core.c | 3 + drivers/base/dd.c | 82 +++++++++++++++++++ drivers/bluetooth/btintel_pcie.c | 48 ++++++----- drivers/bluetooth/hci_h5.c | 41 ++-------- .../net/wireless/intel/iwlwifi/iwl-trans.c | 40 +-------- include/linux/device.h | 2 + 7 files changed, 122 insertions(+), 99 deletions(-) -- 2.55.0