Re: [PATCH] wifi: virt_wifi: remove SET_NETDEV_DEV to avoid use-after-free

From: Greg KH

Date: Wed Mar 25 2026 - 04:37:19 EST


On Wed, Mar 25, 2026 at 01:46:02AM +0300, Alexander Popov wrote:
> Currently we execute `SET_NETDEV_DEV(dev, &priv->lowerdev->dev)` for
> the virt_wifi net devices. However, unregistering a virt_wifi device in
> netdev_run_todo() can happen together with the device referenced by
> SET_NETDEV_DEV().
>
> It can result in use-after-free during the ethtool operations performed
> on a virt_wifi device that is currently being unregistered. Such a net
> device can have the `dev.parent` field pointing to the freed memory,
> but ethnl_ops_begin() calls `pm_runtime_get_sync(dev->dev.parent)`.
>
> Let's remove SET_NETDEV_DEV for virt_wifi to avoid bugs like this:
>
> ==================================================================
> BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0
> Read of size 2 at addr ffff88810cfc46f8 by task pm/606
>
> Call Trace:
> <TASK>
> dump_stack_lvl+0x4d/0x70
> print_report+0x170/0x4f3
> ? __pfx__raw_spin_lock_irqsave+0x10/0x10
> kasan_report+0xda/0x110
> ? __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0
> ? __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0
> __pm_runtime_resume+0xe2/0xf0
> ethnl_ops_begin+0x49/0x270
> ethnl_set_features+0x23c/0xab0
> ? __pfx_ethnl_set_features+0x10/0x10
> ? kvm_sched_clock_read+0x11/0x20
> ? local_clock_noinstr+0xf/0xf0
> ? local_clock+0x10/0x30
> ? kasan_save_track+0x25/0x60
> ? __kasan_kmalloc+0x7f/0x90
> ? genl_family_rcv_msg_attrs_parse.isra.0+0x150/0x2c0
> genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x1e7/0x2c0
> ? __pfx_genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_cred_has_capability.isra.0+0x10/0x10
> ? stack_trace_save+0x8e/0xc0
> genl_rcv_msg+0x411/0x660
> ? __pfx_genl_rcv_msg+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_ethnl_set_features+0x10/0x10
> netlink_rcv_skb+0x121/0x380
> ? __pfx_genl_rcv_msg+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_netlink_rcv_skb+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_down_read+0x10/0x10
> genl_rcv+0x23/0x30
> netlink_unicast+0x60f/0x830
> ? __pfx_netlink_unicast+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx___alloc_skb+0x10/0x10
> netlink_sendmsg+0x6ea/0xbc0
> ? __pfx_netlink_sendmsg+0x10/0x10
> ? __futex_queue+0x10b/0x1f0
> ____sys_sendmsg+0x7a2/0x950
> ? copy_msghdr_from_user+0x26b/0x430
> ? __pfx_____sys_sendmsg+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_copy_msghdr_from_user+0x10/0x10
> ___sys_sendmsg+0xf8/0x180
> ? __pfx____sys_sendmsg+0x10/0x10
> ? __pfx_futex_wait+0x10/0x10
> ? fdget+0x2e4/0x4a0
> __sys_sendmsg+0x11f/0x1c0
> ? __pfx___sys_sendmsg+0x10/0x10
> do_syscall_64+0xe2/0x570
> ? exc_page_fault+0x66/0xb0
> entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f
> </TASK>
>
> This fix may be combined with another one in the ethtool subsystem:
> https://lore.kernel.org/all/20260322075917.254874-1-alex.popov@xxxxxxxxx/T/#u
>
> Fixes: d43c65b05b848e0b ("ethtool: runtime-resume netdev parent in ethnl_ops_begin")
> Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Signed-off-by: Alexander Popov <alex.popov@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
> drivers/net/wireless/virtual/virt_wifi.c | 1 -
> 1 file changed, 1 deletion(-)
>
> diff --git a/drivers/net/wireless/virtual/virt_wifi.c b/drivers/net/wireless/virtual/virt_wifi.c
> index 885dc7243e8d..97bd39d89e98 100644
> --- a/drivers/net/wireless/virtual/virt_wifi.c
> +++ b/drivers/net/wireless/virtual/virt_wifi.c
> @@ -557,7 +557,6 @@ static int virt_wifi_newlink(struct net_device *dev,
> eth_hw_addr_inherit(dev, priv->lowerdev);
> netif_stacked_transfer_operstate(priv->lowerdev, dev);
>
> - SET_NETDEV_DEV(dev, &priv->lowerdev->dev);
> dev->ieee80211_ptr = kzalloc_obj(*dev->ieee80211_ptr);
>
> if (!dev->ieee80211_ptr) {
> --
> 2.53.0

Acked-by: Greg Kroah-Hartman <gregkh@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>