CVE-2026-74479
Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:
net: pktgen: fix proc entry use-after-free
pktgen_change_name() replaces pkt_dev->entry while holding t->if_lock.
pktgen_remove_device() removes the same entry before
_rem_dev_from_if_list() takes that lock.
This allows the following interleaving:
CPU 0 (NETDEV_CHANGENAME) CPU 1 (kpktgend)
if_lock(t)
proc_remove(pkt_dev->entry)
proc_remove(pkt_dev->entry)
pkt_dev->entry = proc_create_data(...)
if_unlock(t)
The kthread can pass the stale proc_dir_entry to proc_remove() after the
rename path has freed it. A reproducer with a widened race window reports:
BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in proc_remove+0x78/0x80
Read of size 8 at addr ffff8881478fea70 by task kpktgend_0/67
Call Trace:
proc_remove+0x78/0x80
pktgen_remove_device.isra.0+0x11c/0x4c0
pktgen_thread_worker+0x1214/0x6bc0
kthread+0x2c6/0x3b0
Allocated by task 95:
__proc_create+0x204/0x790
proc_create_data+0x72/0xe0
pktgen_thread_write+0xd61/0x1510
Freed by task 28:
kmem_cache_free+0xcb/0x3d0
proc_free_inode+0x5b/0x80
rcu_core+0x50a/0x1850
The buggy address belongs to the object at ffff8881478fea00
which belongs to the cache proc_dir_entry of size 192
Move proc_remove() into the if_lock-protected list removal helper. Keep it
before list_del_rcu() to preserve the ordering required by add_device().
The rename path must then finish replacing the entry before removal, or
it observes that the device is no longer on the list.