netfilter: nfnetlink: avoid deadlock due to synchronous request_module

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>

diff --git a/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c b/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c
index 92077d4591090426ae6fd9335064e95214e76829..4abbb452cf6c60400087f02963c2b58ba08896d7 100644 (file)
--- a/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c
+++ b/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c
@@ -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