Subject: Re: [PATCH] media: fix media_ioctl use-after-free when driver unbinds
To: Shuah Khan <shuahkh@osg.samsung.com>, mchehab@osg.samsung.com,
        laurent.pinchart@ideasonboard.com, hans.verkuil@cisco.com,
        chehabrafael@gmail.com, sakari.ailus@iki.fi
References: <1461726512-9828-1-git-send-email-shuahkh@osg.samsung.com>
 <5720EC1A.8060101@metafoo.de> <57213591.3000109@osg.samsung.com>
Cc: linux-media@vger.kernel.org, linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org
From: Lars-Peter Clausen <lars@metafoo.de>
Message-ID: <5721B994.4030202@metafoo.de>
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2016 09:19:48 +0200
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On 04/27/2016 11:56 PM, Shuah Khan wrote:
>>>  	dev_dbg(mdev->dev, "Media device unregistered\n");
>>>  }
>>> diff --git a/drivers/media/media-devnode.c b/drivers/media/media-devnode.c
>>> index 29409f4..9af9ba1 100644
>>> --- a/drivers/media/media-devnode.c
>>> +++ b/drivers/media/media-devnode.c
>>> @@ -171,6 +171,9 @@ static int media_open(struct inode *inode, struct file *filp)
>>>  		mutex_unlock(&media_devnode_lock);
>>>  		return -ENXIO;
>>>  	}
>>> +
>>> +	kobject_get(&mdev->kobj);
>>
>> This is not necessary, and if it was it would be prone to race condition as
>> the last reference could be dropped before this line. But assigning the cdev
>> parent makes sure that we always have a reference to the object while the
>> open() callback is running.
> 
> I don't see cdev parent kobj get in cdev_get() which does kobject_get()
> on cdev->kobj. Is that enough to get the reference?
> 
> cdev_add() gets the cdev parent kobj and cdev_del() puts it back. That is
> the reason why I added a get here and put in media_release().
> 

The cdev takes the parent reference when created and only drops it once it
is released. So as long as the cdev exists there is a reference to the
parent. While cdev_del() puts one reference to the cdev there is also one
reference for each open file. So as long as there is a open file there is a
reference to the parent as well.

> I can remove the get and put and test. Looks like I am not checking
> kobject_get() return value which isn't good?

kobject_get() can't fail.

> 
>>
>>> +
>>>  	/* and increase the device refcount */
>>>  	get_device(&mdev->dev);
>>>  	mutex_unlock(&media_devnode_lock);
>>>  /*
>> [...]
>>> diff --git a/include/media/media-devnode.h b/include/media/media-devnode.h
>>> index fe42f08..ba4bdaa 100644
>>> --- a/include/media/media-devnode.h
>>> +++ b/include/media/media-devnode.h
>>> @@ -70,7 +70,9 @@ struct media_file_operations {
>>>   * @fops:	pointer to struct &media_file_operations with media device ops
>>>   * @dev:	struct device pointer for the media controller device
>>>   * @cdev:	struct cdev pointer character device
>>> + * @kobj:	struct kobject
>>>   * @parent:	parent device
>>> + * @media_dev:	media device
>>>   * @minor:	device node minor number
>>>   * @flags:	flags, combination of the MEDIA_FLAG_* constants
>>>   * @release:	release callback called at the end of media_devnode_release()
>>> @@ -87,7 +89,9 @@ struct media_devnode {
>>>  	/* sysfs */
>>>  	struct device dev;		/* media device */
>>>  	struct cdev cdev;		/* character device */
>>> +	struct kobject kobj;		/* set as cdev parent kobj */
>>
>> You don't need a extra kobj. Just use the struct dev kobj.
> 
> Yeah I can use that as long as I can override the default release
> function with media_devnode_free(). media_devnode should stick around
> until the last app closes /dev/mediaX even if the media_device is no
> longer registered. i.e media_ioctl should be able to check if devnode
> is registered or not. I think I am missing something and don't understand
> how struct dev kobj can be used.

The struct dev that is embedded into th media_devnode as the same live time
as the media_devnode itself. In addition to that struct device is a
reference counted object. This means a structure that embeds struct device
must not be freed until the last reference is dropped.

What you do here is introduce a independent reference counting mechanism for
the same structure. Which means if there is a reference to struct device,
but not to the new kobj you end up with a use-after-free again.

The solution is to only use one reference counting mechanism (the struct
device) and intialize the cdev kobj parent to the device kobj and whenever
you did kobj_{get,put}() replace that with {get,put}_device(). And in the
device release callback free the struct media_devnode.