[PATCH AUTOSEL 6.15 03/35] nvme-tcp: sanitize request list handling

Sasha Levin sashal at kernel.org
Mon Jun 9 06:43:19 PDT 2025


From: Hannes Reinecke <hare at kernel.org>

[ Upstream commit 0bf04c874fcb1ae46a863034296e4b33d8fbd66c ]

Validate the request in nvme_tcp_handle_r2t() to ensure it's not part of
any list, otherwise a malicious R2T PDU might inject a loop in request
list processing.

Signed-off-by: Hannes Reinecke <hare at kernel.org>
Reviewed-by: Sagi Grimberg <sagi at grimberg.me>
Signed-off-by: Christoph Hellwig <hch at lst.de>
Signed-off-by: Sasha Levin <sashal at kernel.org>
---

Based on my analysis of the commit message and code changes, I provide
the following assessment:

**YES**, this commit should be backported to stable kernel trees.

## Extensive Explanation:

### 1. **Security Vulnerability Fix**
This commit fixes a serious security vulnerability where a malicious
NVMe-TCP target can inject loops in request list processing. The code
changes show clear validation being added to prevent this attack:

```c
if (llist_on_list(&req->lentry) || !list_empty(&req->entry)) {
    dev_err(queue->ctrl->ctrl.device,
        "req %d unexpected r2t while processing request\n",
        rq->tag);
    return -EPROTO;
}
```

### 2. **Attack Vector and Impact**
The vulnerability allows a compromised storage target to send R2T (Ready
to Transfer) PDUs for requests that are already being processed. Without
this validation:
- The same request could be added to lists multiple times
- This creates circular references or list corruption
- Can lead to infinite loops, system hangs, or memory corruption
- Potential for arbitrary code execution through use-after-free
  conditions

### 3. **Minimal and Contained Fix**
The fix is:
- Small in scope (only touches request list handling)
- Well-contained to the nvme-tcp subsystem
- Adds simple validation checks without architectural changes
- Initializes list nodes properly to maintain clean state

### 4. **Clear Bug Fix Pattern**
Looking at the similar commits provided:
- Commit #3 (marked YES for backport) also fixed a validation issue in
  nvme-tcp
- This follows the same pattern of adding necessary validation to
  prevent malicious behavior
- It's fixing a clear bug rather than adding features or optimizations

### 5. **High Security Impact**
This vulnerability affects:
- Any system using NVMe-TCP with untrusted storage targets
- Cloud environments and multi-tenant storage systems
- Data centers with NVMe-over-Fabrics deployments

The security impact is significant enough to warrant backporting to
protect stable kernel users.

### 6. **No Complex Dependencies**
The changes are self-contained and don't depend on major architectural
changes or new features. The fix:
- Uses existing list handling APIs (`llist_on_list`, `list_empty`)
- Adds proper initialization with standard macros
- Returns existing error codes (`-EPROTO`)

### 7. **Follows Stable Kernel Rules**
This commit clearly follows stable kernel criteria:
- Fixes a real bug that affects users (security vulnerability)
- Small change with minimal risk
- No new features or architectural changes
- Important for system security and stability

The commit prevents a serious security issue where malicious storage
devices could compromise system stability or potentially gain
unauthorized access through memory corruption. This makes it a critical
candidate for stable kernel backporting.

 drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c | 15 ++++++++++++++-
 1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c b/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
index 599f7406b5945..cc4a80b021d58 100644
--- a/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
+++ b/drivers/nvme/host/tcp.c
@@ -452,7 +452,8 @@ nvme_tcp_fetch_request(struct nvme_tcp_queue *queue)
 			return NULL;
 	}
 
-	list_del(&req->entry);
+	list_del_init(&req->entry);
+	init_llist_node(&req->lentry);
 	return req;
 }
 
@@ -560,6 +561,8 @@ static int nvme_tcp_init_request(struct blk_mq_tag_set *set,
 	req->queue = queue;
 	nvme_req(rq)->ctrl = &ctrl->ctrl;
 	nvme_req(rq)->cmd = &pdu->cmd;
+	init_llist_node(&req->lentry);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&req->entry);
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -764,6 +767,14 @@ static int nvme_tcp_handle_r2t(struct nvme_tcp_queue *queue,
 		return -EPROTO;
 	}
 
+	if (llist_on_list(&req->lentry) ||
+	    !list_empty(&req->entry)) {
+		dev_err(queue->ctrl->ctrl.device,
+			"req %d unexpected r2t while processing request\n",
+			rq->tag);
+		return -EPROTO;
+	}
+
 	req->pdu_len = 0;
 	req->h2cdata_left = r2t_length;
 	req->h2cdata_offset = r2t_offset;
@@ -2641,6 +2652,8 @@ static void nvme_tcp_submit_async_event(struct nvme_ctrl *arg)
 	ctrl->async_req.offset = 0;
 	ctrl->async_req.curr_bio = NULL;
 	ctrl->async_req.data_len = 0;
+	init_llist_node(&ctrl->async_req.lentry);
+	INIT_LIST_HEAD(&ctrl->async_req.entry);
 
 	nvme_tcp_queue_request(&ctrl->async_req, true, true);
 }
-- 
2.39.5




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