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[PATCH net v5 1/1] openvswitch: Fix CT limit teardown use-after-free

From: Yuqi Xu <hidden>
Date: 2026-08-11 09:56:11
Also in: lkml
Subsystem: networking [general], openvswitch, the rest · Maintainers: "David S. Miller", Eric Dumazet, Jakub Kicinski, Paolo Abeni, Aaron Conole, Eelco Chaudron, Ilya Maximets, Linus Torvalds 

Packet processing uses CT limit state under RCU, while netns teardown
frees that state under ovs_mutex. The CT limit pointer was neither removed
from readers nor protected by a grace period, allowing packet processing to
dereference the freed state.

An unprivileged user can trigger this bug from a user and network
namespace, causing a slab-use-after-free in ovs_ct_execute() when the
netns is torn down.

Publish the CT limit pointer through RCU, remove it before teardown, and
wait for readers before freeing its contents. Keep ovs_mutex around
individual CT limit updates, and use the RCU read-side lock while GET
traverses the RCU-protected limit lists.

Fixes: 11efd5cb04a1 ("openvswitch: Support conntrack zone limit")
Cc: stable@vger.kernel.org
Reported-by: Vega <redacted>
Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1784711445.git.xuyuqiabc@gmail.com (local)
Assisted-by: Codex:GPT-5.4
Co-developed-by: Nan Li <redacted>
Signed-off-by: Nan Li <redacted>
Signed-off-by: Yuqi Xu <redacted>
Reviewed-by: Ren Wei <redacted>
---
Changes in v5:

- Remove unreachable command-path NULL handling because netlink sockets
  keep their network namespaces alive while requests are processed.
- Restore the previous SET, DEL, and GET command semantics.
- Document the ct_limit_info RCU and ovs_mutex locking contract.
- v4 Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1785908366.git.xuyuqiabc@gmail.com/ (local)

Changes in v4:

- Restore per-entry ovs_mutex locking for CT limit SET and DEL.
- Treat CT limit updates racing with netns teardown as successful no-ops.
- Free an uninstalled CT limit allocation and document GET helpers' RCU
  contract.
- v3 Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1784866791.git.xuyuqiabc@gmail.com/ (local)

Changes in v3:

- Use RCU dereference and a NULL check for CT limit GET requests.
- Limit ovs_mutex to CT limit updates; do not hold it while preparing replies.
- Use ovsl_dereference() for update paths and clarify the RCU grace-period
  comment.
- v2 Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/cover.1784711445.git.xuyuqiabc@gmail.com (local)

Changes in v2:

- Sort local declarations modified by this patch in reverse
  Christmas-tree order.
- v1 Link: https://lore.kernel.org/all/aa8a1d8dcbac8a13dbdf077a642a66f4c5d81e4b.1784355642.git.xuyuqiabc@gmail.com/ (local)

 net/openvswitch/conntrack.c | 87 +++++++++++++++++++++----------------
 net/openvswitch/datapath.h  |  6 ++-
 2 files changed, 54 insertions(+), 39 deletions(-)

diff --git a/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c b/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c
index 95697d4e16e6..cc6ea4014c16 100644
--- a/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c
+++ b/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c
@@ -933,10 +933,14 @@ static int ovs_ct_check_limit(struct net *net,
 			      const struct ovs_conntrack_info *info)
 {
 	struct ovs_net *ovs_net = net_generic(net, ovs_net_id);
-	const struct ovs_ct_limit_info *ct_limit_info = ovs_net->ct_limit_info;
+	const struct ovs_ct_limit_info *ct_limit_info;
 	u32 per_zone_limit, connections;
 	u32 conncount_key;
 
+	ct_limit_info = rcu_dereference(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
+	if (!ct_limit_info)
+		return 0;
+
 	conncount_key = info->zone.id;
 
 	per_zone_limit = ct_limit_get(ct_limit_info, info->zone.id);
@@ -1585,40 +1589,47 @@ static void __ovs_ct_free_action(struct ovs_conntrack_info *ct_info)
 #if	IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NETFILTER_CONNCOUNT)
 static int ovs_ct_limit_init(struct net *net, struct ovs_net *ovs_net)
 {
+	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info;
 	int i, err;
 
-	ovs_net->ct_limit_info = kmalloc_obj(*ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
-	if (!ovs_net->ct_limit_info)
+	info = kmalloc_obj(*info);
+	if (!info)
 		return -ENOMEM;
 
-	ovs_net->ct_limit_info->default_limit = OVS_CT_LIMIT_DEFAULT;
-	ovs_net->ct_limit_info->limits =
+	info->default_limit = OVS_CT_LIMIT_DEFAULT;
+	info->limits =
 		kmalloc_objs(struct hlist_head, CT_LIMIT_HASH_BUCKETS);
-	if (!ovs_net->ct_limit_info->limits) {
-		kfree(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
+	if (!info->limits) {
+		kfree(info);
 		return -ENOMEM;
 	}
 
 	for (i = 0; i < CT_LIMIT_HASH_BUCKETS; i++)
-		INIT_HLIST_HEAD(&ovs_net->ct_limit_info->limits[i]);
+		INIT_HLIST_HEAD(&info->limits[i]);
 
-	ovs_net->ct_limit_info->data = nf_conncount_init(net, sizeof(u32));
+	info->data = nf_conncount_init(net, sizeof(u32));
 
-	if (IS_ERR(ovs_net->ct_limit_info->data)) {
-		err = PTR_ERR(ovs_net->ct_limit_info->data);
-		kfree(ovs_net->ct_limit_info->limits);
-		kfree(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
+	if (IS_ERR(info->data)) {
+		err = PTR_ERR(info->data);
+		kfree(info->limits);
+		kfree(info);
 		pr_err("openvswitch: failed to init nf_conncount %d\n", err);
 		return err;
 	}
+	rcu_assign_pointer(ovs_net->ct_limit_info, info);
 	return 0;
 }
 
 static void ovs_ct_limit_exit(struct net *net, struct ovs_net *ovs_net)
 {
-	const struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info = ovs_net->ct_limit_info;
+	const struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info;
 	int i;
 
+	info = rcu_replace_pointer(ovs_net->ct_limit_info, NULL,
+				   lockdep_ovsl_is_held());
+	/* Wait for RCU readers to stop using the CT limits. */
+	synchronize_rcu();
+
 	nf_conncount_destroy(net, info->data);
 	for (i = 0; i < CT_LIMIT_HASH_BUCKETS; ++i) {
 		struct hlist_head *head = &info->limits[i];
@@ -1665,12 +1676,13 @@ static bool check_zone_id(int zone_id, u16 *pzone)
 	return false;
 }
 
-static int ovs_ct_limit_set_zone_limit(struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
-				       struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info)
+static int ovs_ct_limit_set_zone_limit(struct ovs_net *ovs_net,
+				       struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit)
 {
 	struct ovs_zone_limit *zone_limit;
-	int rem;
+	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info;
 	u16 zone;
+	int rem;
 
 	rem = NLA_ALIGN(nla_len(nla_zone_limit));
 	zone_limit = (struct ovs_zone_limit *)nla_data(nla_zone_limit);
@@ -1679,6 +1691,7 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_set_zone_limit(struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
 		if (unlikely(zone_limit->zone_id ==
 				OVS_ZONE_LIMIT_DEFAULT_ZONE)) {
 			ovs_lock();
+			info = ovsl_dereference(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
 			info->default_limit = zone_limit->limit;
 			ovs_unlock();
 		} else if (unlikely(!check_zone_id(
@@ -1695,6 +1708,7 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_set_zone_limit(struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
 			ct_limit->limit = zone_limit->limit;
 
 			ovs_lock();
+			info = ovsl_dereference(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
 			ct_limit_set(info, ct_limit);
 			ovs_unlock();
 		}
@@ -1709,12 +1723,13 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_set_zone_limit(struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static int ovs_ct_limit_del_zone_limit(struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
-				       struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info)
+static int ovs_ct_limit_del_zone_limit(struct ovs_net *ovs_net,
+				       struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit)
 {
 	struct ovs_zone_limit *zone_limit;
-	int rem;
+	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info;
 	u16 zone;
+	int rem;
 
 	rem = NLA_ALIGN(nla_len(nla_zone_limit));
 	zone_limit = (struct ovs_zone_limit *)nla_data(nla_zone_limit);
@@ -1723,6 +1738,7 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_del_zone_limit(struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
 		if (unlikely(zone_limit->zone_id ==
 				OVS_ZONE_LIMIT_DEFAULT_ZONE)) {
 			ovs_lock();
+			info = ovsl_dereference(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
 			info->default_limit = OVS_CT_LIMIT_DEFAULT;
 			ovs_unlock();
 		} else if (unlikely(!check_zone_id(
@@ -1730,6 +1746,7 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_del_zone_limit(struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
 			OVS_NLERR(true, "zone id is out of range");
 		} else {
 			ovs_lock();
+			info = ovsl_dereference(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
 			ct_limit_del(info, zone);
 			ovs_unlock();
 		}
@@ -1773,6 +1790,7 @@ static int __ovs_ct_limit_get_zone_limit(struct net *net,
 	return nla_put_nohdr(reply, sizeof(zone_limit), &zone_limit);
 }
 
+/* Called with RCU read lock held. */
 static int ovs_ct_limit_get_zone_limit(struct net *net,
 				       struct nlattr *nla_zone_limit,
 				       struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info,
@@ -1796,12 +1814,10 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_get_zone_limit(struct net *net,
 							&zone))) {
 			OVS_NLERR(true, "zone id is out of range");
 		} else {
-			rcu_read_lock();
 			limit = ct_limit_get(info, zone);
 
 			err = __ovs_ct_limit_get_zone_limit(
 				net, info->data, zone, limit, reply);
-			rcu_read_unlock();
 			if (err)
 				return err;
 		}
@@ -1816,6 +1832,7 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_get_zone_limit(struct net *net,
 	return 0;
 }
 
+/* Called with RCU read lock held. */
 static int ovs_ct_limit_get_all_zone_limit(struct net *net,
 					   struct ovs_ct_limit_info *info,
 					   struct sk_buff *reply)
@@ -1828,19 +1845,16 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_get_all_zone_limit(struct net *net,
 	if (err)
 		return err;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
 	for (i = 0; i < CT_LIMIT_HASH_BUCKETS; ++i) {
 		head = &info->limits[i];
 		hlist_for_each_entry_rcu(ct_limit, head, hlist_node) {
 			err = __ovs_ct_limit_get_zone_limit(net, info->data,
 				ct_limit->zone, ct_limit->limit, reply);
 			if (err)
-				goto exit_err;
+				return err;
 		}
 	}
 
-exit_err:
-	rcu_read_unlock();
 	return err;
 }
 
@@ -1850,7 +1864,6 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_cmd_set(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 	struct sk_buff *reply;
 	struct ovs_header *ovs_reply_header;
 	struct ovs_net *ovs_net = net_generic(sock_net(skb->sk), ovs_net_id);
-	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *ct_limit_info = ovs_net->ct_limit_info;
 	int err;
 
 	reply = ovs_ct_limit_cmd_reply_start(info, OVS_CT_LIMIT_CMD_SET,
@@ -1863,8 +1876,8 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_cmd_set(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 		goto exit_err;
 	}
 
-	err = ovs_ct_limit_set_zone_limit(a[OVS_CT_LIMIT_ATTR_ZONE_LIMIT],
-					  ct_limit_info);
+	err = ovs_ct_limit_set_zone_limit(ovs_net,
+					  a[OVS_CT_LIMIT_ATTR_ZONE_LIMIT]);
 	if (err)
 		goto exit_err;
 
@@ -1884,7 +1897,6 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_cmd_del(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 	struct sk_buff *reply;
 	struct ovs_header *ovs_reply_header;
 	struct ovs_net *ovs_net = net_generic(sock_net(skb->sk), ovs_net_id);
-	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *ct_limit_info = ovs_net->ct_limit_info;
 	int err;
 
 	reply = ovs_ct_limit_cmd_reply_start(info, OVS_CT_LIMIT_CMD_DEL,
@@ -1897,8 +1909,8 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_cmd_del(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 		goto exit_err;
 	}
 
-	err = ovs_ct_limit_del_zone_limit(a[OVS_CT_LIMIT_ATTR_ZONE_LIMIT],
-					  ct_limit_info);
+	err = ovs_ct_limit_del_zone_limit(ovs_net,
+					  a[OVS_CT_LIMIT_ATTR_ZONE_LIMIT]);
 	if (err)
 		goto exit_err;
 
@@ -1918,7 +1930,7 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_cmd_get(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 	struct ovs_header *ovs_reply_header;
 	struct net *net = sock_net(skb->sk);
 	struct ovs_net *ovs_net = net_generic(net, ovs_net_id);
-	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *ct_limit_info = ovs_net->ct_limit_info;
+	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *ct_limit_info;
 	int err;
 
 	reply = ovs_ct_limit_cmd_reply_start(info, OVS_CT_LIMIT_CMD_GET,
@@ -1932,18 +1944,19 @@ static int ovs_ct_limit_cmd_get(struct sk_buff *skb, struct genl_info *info)
 		goto exit_err;
 	}
 
+	rcu_read_lock();
+	ct_limit_info = rcu_dereference(ovs_net->ct_limit_info);
 	if (a[OVS_CT_LIMIT_ATTR_ZONE_LIMIT]) {
 		err = ovs_ct_limit_get_zone_limit(
 			net, a[OVS_CT_LIMIT_ATTR_ZONE_LIMIT], ct_limit_info,
 			reply);
-		if (err)
-			goto exit_err;
 	} else {
 		err = ovs_ct_limit_get_all_zone_limit(net, ct_limit_info,
 						      reply);
-		if (err)
-			goto exit_err;
 	}
+	rcu_read_unlock();
+	if (err)
+		goto exit_err;
 
 	nla_nest_end(reply, nla_reply);
 	genlmsg_end(reply, ovs_reply_header);
diff --git a/net/openvswitch/datapath.h b/net/openvswitch/datapath.h
index 696640e88fa7..06c6956fb1dc 100644
--- a/net/openvswitch/datapath.h
+++ b/net/openvswitch/datapath.h
@@ -164,7 +164,9 @@ struct dp_upcall_info {
  * Protected by genl_mutex.
  * @dp_notify_work: A work notifier to handle port unregistering.
  * @masks_rebalance: A work to periodically optimize flow table caches.
- * @ct_limit_info: A hash table of conntrack zone connection limits.
+ * @ct_limit_info: Hash table of conntrack zone connection limits. Protected
+ * by RCU; updates and teardown are serialized by ovs_mutex. May be NULL during
+ * netns teardown.
  * @xt_label: Whether connlables are configured for the network or not.
  */
 struct ovs_net {
@@ -172,7 +174,7 @@ struct ovs_net {
 	struct work_struct dp_notify_work;
 	struct delayed_work masks_rebalance;
 #if	IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_NETFILTER_CONNCOUNT)
-	struct ovs_ct_limit_info *ct_limit_info;
+	struct ovs_ct_limit_info __rcu *ct_limit_info;
 #endif
 	bool xt_label;
 };
-- 
2.54.0
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