Re: [PATCH net v2] dpll: fix NULL deref in dpll_device_ops() during teardown race

Hi Petr,

On 13/08/2026 16:08, Petr Oros wrote:

When the last owner of a dpll device unregisters while a foreign driver
still holds a pin on it via dpll_pin_on_pin_register(), the dpll object
stays alive with an empty registration list. A pin notification queued
before the unregister (e.g. ice reacting to zl3073x_i2c removal) then
walks pin->dpll_refs into dpll_device_ops(), which trips the WARN_ON and
dereferences the missing registration. dpll_lock cannot help because the
notification work was queued before the unregistering driver took the
lock.

Treat the empty registration list as a legitimate transient state. Make
dpll_priv() and dpll_device_ops() return NULL in that case and make
every pin netlink path that resolves a device from a pin skip such
dplls. dpll_cmd_pin_get_one() picks a ref with a live registration and
returns -ENODEV when there is none, the pin dumpit skips such a pin
instead of aborting the dump, dpll_msg_add_pin_dplls() and the
frequency, esync, reference sync and phase adjust set paths skip dead
refs, and dpll_pin_parent_device_set() validates the parent with
dpll_device_get_by_id(). dpll_pin_register() is the last caller that
dereferenced the device ops without a check, so move its frequency
monitor validation under dpll_lock and tolerate a missing registration
there as well.

The empty registration list is equivalent to a cleared DPLL_REGISTERED
mark, both transitions happen under dpll_lock in dpll_device_register()
and dpll_device_unregister(). A pin notification for a pin whose dplls
are all gone is now dropped with -ENODEV instead of crashing, all
callers in the core ignore that return value.

Thank you for the patch. When merging net into net-next, it looks like
it creates a lot of conflicts, mainly with commit 84e85c325e5e ("dpll:
use pin owner's dpll ref for pin-level attribute setting").

Because the logic seems quite different now, do you mind providing
instructions on how to resolve these conflicts, please? A 3-way patch
and/or rerere artifacts could also help.

Cheers,
Matt
-- 
Sponsored by the NGI0 Core fund.