linux-kernel - [PATCH] watchdog: Fix race condition in registration code

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Message-Id: <1365222163-26761-1-git-send-email-linux@roeck-us.net>
Date:	Fri,  5 Apr 2013 21:22:43 -0700
From:	Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>
To:	linux-watchdog@...r.kernel.org
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org, Wim Van Sebroeck <wim@...ana.be>,
	Arkadiusz Miskiewicz <a.miskiewicz@...il.com>,
	Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>
Subject: [PATCH] watchdog: Fix race condition in registration code

A race condition exists when registering the first watchdog device.
Sequence of events:

- watchdog_register_device calls watchdog_dev_register
- watchdog_dev_register creates the watchdog misc device by calling
  misc_register.
  At that time, the matching character device (/dev/watchdog0) does not yet
  exist, and old_wdd is not set either.
- Userspace gets an event and opens /dev/watchdog
- watchdog_open is called and sets sets wdd = old_wdd, which is still NULL,
  and tries to dereference it. This causes the kernel to panic.

Seen with systemd trying to open /dev/watchdog immediately after
it was created.

Reported-by: Arkadiusz Miskiewicz <a.miskiewicz@...il.com>
Signed-off-by: Guenter Roeck <linux@...ck-us.net>
---
Arkadiusz,

would be great if you can test this in your system.

 drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c |    3 ++-
 1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
index 08b48bb..faf4e18 100644
--- a/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
+++ b/drivers/watchdog/watchdog_dev.c
@@ -523,6 +523,7 @@ int watchdog_dev_register(struct watchdog_device *watchdog)
 	int err, devno;
 
 	if (watchdog->id == 0) {
+		old_wdd = watchdog;
 		watchdog_miscdev.parent = watchdog->parent;
 		err = misc_register(&watchdog_miscdev);
 		if (err != 0) {
@@ -531,9 +532,9 @@ int watchdog_dev_register(struct watchdog_device *watchdog)
 			if (err == -EBUSY)
 				pr_err("%s: a legacy watchdog module is probably present.\n",
 					watchdog->info->identity);
+			old_wdd = NULL;
 			return err;
 		}
-		old_wdd = watchdog;
 	}
 
 	/* Fill in the data structures */
-- 
1.7.9.7

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