[PATCH 2/9] driver core: prevent device_add() during system shutdown

David Jeffery djeffery at redhat.com
Fri Aug 21 07:24:07 PDT 2026


From: Tarun Sahu <tarunsahu at google.com>

In Async device shutdown, device_kset->list lock is released to handle
asynchronisation and hold again to get entry from device_kset->list.
Which will leave window when device_add can try to add the device to
device_kset list and temper with ongoing shutdown process. New added
device can be async type or sync type and might also introduce new
dependency which can cause device_shutdown path to deadlock. S is
waiting C to finish but C is never scheduled as it was added recently
from device_add path. And C can only be scheduled when main loops
continue to reach to C which is waiting on S.

So, When a system enters shutdown (SYSTEM_HALT, SYSTEM_POWER_OFF, or
SYSTEM_RESTART), new devices should not be allowed to be added.
Adding system_state check (system_is_shutting_down()) to avoid
device_add incase of these states of the system.

While device_add() performs an initial check of system_is_shutting_down(),
a race window exists between this initial check and kobject_add(),
during which device_shutdown() may already be scanning devices_kset->list.
If device_shutdown() passes the device after kobject_add() registers it
onto devices_kset->list, device_add() would otherwise complete device
initialization and driver matching, leaving an active device running
after system shutdown finishes.

Fix this TOCTOU race by re-checking system_is_shutting_down() under
devices_kset->list_lock right after kobject_add().

Signed-off-by: Tarun Sahu <tarunsahu at google.com>
Signed-off-by: David Jeffery <djeffery at redhat.com>
Tested-by: Laurence Oberman <loberman at redhat.com>
---
 drivers/base/core.c | 34 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 1 file changed, 34 insertions(+)

diff --git a/drivers/base/core.c b/drivers/base/core.c
index 83263e3fa5d4..bd9c2921e326 100644
--- a/drivers/base/core.c
+++ b/drivers/base/core.c
@@ -47,6 +47,22 @@ static bool fw_devlink_drv_reg_done;
 static bool fw_devlink_best_effort;
 static struct workqueue_struct *device_link_wq;
 
+/**
+ * system_is_shutting_down - Check if system state is not active.
+ *
+ * When system state is not active and in shutdown state, new devices
+ * should not be allowed to be added.
+ *
+ * If system_state is SYSTEM_HALT || SYSTEM_POWER_OFF || SYSTEM_RESTART
+ * this function will return true.
+ */
+static inline bool system_is_shutting_down(void)
+{
+	return system_state == SYSTEM_HALT ||
+	       system_state == SYSTEM_POWER_OFF ||
+	       system_state == SYSTEM_RESTART;
+}
+
 /**
  * __fwnode_link_add - Create a link between two fwnode_handles.
  * @con: Consumer end of the link.
@@ -3654,6 +3670,11 @@ int device_add(struct device *dev)
 	if (!dev)
 		goto done;
 
+	if (unlikely(system_is_shutting_down())) {
+		error = -ESHUTDOWN;
+		goto done;
+	}
+
 	if (!dev->p) {
 		error = device_private_init(dev);
 		if (error)
@@ -3703,6 +3724,18 @@ int device_add(struct device *dev)
 		goto Error;
 	}
 
+	/*
+	 * Check system_state again under list_lock to prevent a TOCTOU race
+	 * where device_shutdown() runs concurrently and misses this device.
+	 */
+	spin_lock(&devices_kset->list_lock);
+	if (unlikely(system_is_shutting_down())) {
+		spin_unlock(&devices_kset->list_lock);
+		error = -ESHUTDOWN;
+		goto ShutdownError;
+	}
+	spin_unlock(&devices_kset->list_lock);
+
 	/* notify platform of device entry */
 	device_platform_notify(dev);
 
@@ -3822,6 +3855,7 @@ int device_add(struct device *dev)
  attrError:
 	device_platform_notify_remove(dev);
 	kobject_uevent(&dev->kobj, KOBJ_REMOVE);
+ ShutdownError:
 	glue_dir = get_glue_dir(dev);
 	kobject_del(&dev->kobj);
  Error:
-- 
2.55.0




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