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netfilter: nfnetlink: avoid deadlock due to synchronous request_module
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Thomas and Juliana report a deadlock when running:

(rmmod nf_conntrack_netlink/xfrm_user)

  conntrack -e NEW -E &
  modprobe -v xfrm_user

They provided following analysis:

conntrack -e NEW -E
    netlink_bind()
        netlink_lock_table() -> increases "nl_table_users"
            nfnetlink_bind()
            # does not unlock the table as it's locked by netlink_bind()
                __request_module()
                    call_usermodehelper_exec()

This triggers "modprobe nf_conntrack_netlink" from kernel, netlink_bind()
won't return until modprobe process is done.

"modprobe xfrm_user":
    xfrm_user_init()
        register_pernet_subsys()
            -> grab pernet_ops_rwsem
                ..
                netlink_table_grab()
                    calls schedule() as "nl_table_users" is non-zero

so modprobe is blocked because netlink_bind() increased
nl_table_users while also holding pernet_ops_rwsem.

"modprobe nf_conntrack_netlink" runs and inits nf_conntrack_netlink:
    ctnetlink_init()
        register_pernet_subsys()
            -> blocks on "pernet_ops_rwsem" thanks to xfrm_user module

both modprobe processes wait on one another -- neither can make
progress.

Switch netlink_bind() to "nowait" modprobe -- this releases the netlink
table lock, which then allows both modprobe instances to complete.

Reported-by: Thomas Jarosch <thomas.jarosch@intra2net.com>
Reported-by: Juliana Rodrigueiro <juliana.rodrigueiro@intra2net.com>
Signed-off-by: Florian Westphal <fw@strlen.de>
Signed-off-by: Pablo Neira Ayuso <pablo@netfilter.org>
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Florian Westphal authored and Pablo Neira Ayuso committed Jul 15, 2019
1 parent 7610486 commit 1b0890c
Showing 1 changed file with 1 addition and 1 deletion.
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ static int nfnetlink_bind(struct net *net, int group)
ss = nfnetlink_get_subsys(type << 8);
rcu_read_unlock();
if (!ss)
request_module("nfnetlink-subsys-%d", type);
request_module_nowait("nfnetlink-subsys-%d", type);
return 0;
}
#endif
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