linux-kernel - Bug: Opening a file under /proc/<pid>/ after process exit may return ENOENT

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Message-ID:
 <DB9PR05MB11014E5806668445342EDE9DAFDA1A@DB9PR05MB11014.eurprd05.prod.outlook.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2025 15:02:11 +0000
From: Gabríel Arthúr Pétursson
	<Gabriel.Petursson@...el.com>
To: "linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org>,
	"linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org" <linux-fsdevel@...r.kernel.org>
Subject: Bug: Opening a file under /proc/<pid>/ after process exit may return
 ENOENT

Opening a file under /proc/<pid>/ after process exit may return ENOENT
======================================================================

Given an open directory file descriptor to /proc/<pid>/, there exists a small
window after a process exits in which opening a file would fail with ENOENT
before the expected ESRCH error.

The following C program demonstrates the issue:

	#include <errno.h>
	#include <fcntl.h>
	#include <stdio.h>
	#include <stdlib.h>
	#include <unistd.h>

	int main() {
		while (1) {
			int r = open("cmdline", O_RDONLY|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOCTTY);
			if (r < 0) {
				fprintf(stderr, "open failed: %m\n");

				if (errno == ESRCH) {
					return 1;
				}
			} else {
				close(r);
			}
		}
	}

>From the shell, pick a process under /proc/ and run the program. Once the
process exits, one may observe the following output:

	root@...ek:/proc/3414924# /root/a.out 
	open failed: No such file or directory
	open failed: No such process

Affected versions
-----------------

We've tested and reproduced the bug on:

	Fedora 43 with 6.17.8-300.fc43.x86_64, and
	Ubuntu 25.10 with 6.14.0-35-generic

Thanks in advance!

Please let me know if any additional information is required.