possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close (2)

Status: upstream: reported on 2026/08/04 21:47
Reported-by: syzbot+f4d809da38ae4ce500d6@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
First crash: 2d16h, last: 2d11h
▶ ▼ Similar bugs (3)
Kernel Title Rank 🛈 Repro Cause bisect Fix bisect Count Last Reported Patched Status
linux-5.15 possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close 4 syz, C done 2000 848d 1248d 0/3 auto-obsoleted due to no activity on 2024/10/30 03:32
linux-6.1 possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close origin:lts-only 4 syz, C done 1803 2d15h 1248d 0/3 upstream: reported C repro on 2023/03/07 17:07
upstream possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close nfc net 4 syz, C done 939 1260d 1362d 22/29 fixed on 2023/02/24 13:50

Sample crash report:
nci: __nci_request: wait_for_completion_interruptible_timeout failed -512
======================================================
WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
syzkaller #0 Not tainted
------------------------------------------------------
syz.1.60/4538 is trying to acquire lock:
ffffffff8cb63968 (nci_mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: virtual_nci_close+0x13/0x40 drivers/nfc/virtual_ncidev.c:44

but task is already holding lock:
ffff888062b43350 (&ndev->req_lock){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: nci_close_device+0x102/0x600 net/nfc/nci/core.c:560

which lock already depends on the new lock.


the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is:

-> #3 (&ndev->req_lock){+.+.}-{3:3}:
       __mutex_lock_common+0x1e5/0x2400 kernel/locking/mutex.c:596
       __mutex_lock kernel/locking/mutex.c:729 [inline]
       mutex_lock_nested+0x17/0x20 kernel/locking/mutex.c:743
       nci_request net/nfc/nci/core.c:148 [inline]
       nci_start_poll+0x8c8/0xcc0 net/nfc/nci/core.c:855
       nfc_start_poll+0x141/0x2c0 net/nfc/core.c:225
       nfc_genl_start_poll+0x1d7/0x340 net/nfc/netlink.c:828
       genl_family_rcv_msg_doit net/netlink/genetlink.c:731 [inline]
       genl_family_rcv_msg net/netlink/genetlink.c:775 [inline]
       genl_rcv_msg+0xd0b/0xfa0 net/netlink/genetlink.c:792
       netlink_rcv_skb+0x1e9/0x430 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2519
       genl_rcv+0x24/0x40 net/netlink/genetlink.c:803
       netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1314 [inline]
       netlink_unicast+0x78f/0x940 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1340
       netlink_sendmsg+0x8ba/0xbe0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1919
       sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:706 [inline]
       __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:718 [inline]
       ____sys_sendmsg+0x5be/0x8f0 net/socket.c:2446
       ___sys_sendmsg+0x236/0x2e0 net/socket.c:2500
       __sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2529 [inline]
       __do_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2538 [inline]
       __se_sys_sendmsg+0x1b7/0x2a0 net/socket.c:2536
       do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
       do_syscall_64+0x4c/0xa0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
       entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x66/0xd0

-> #2 (&genl_data->genl_data_mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}:
       __mutex_lock_common+0x1e5/0x2400 kernel/locking/mutex.c:596
       __mutex_lock kernel/locking/mutex.c:729 [inline]
       mutex_lock_nested+0x17/0x20 kernel/locking/mutex.c:743
       nfc_urelease_event_work+0x120/0x310 net/nfc/netlink.c:1833
       process_one_work+0x867/0xff0 kernel/workqueue.c:2310
       worker_thread+0xad7/0x12a0 kernel/workqueue.c:2457
       kthread+0x42e/0x520 kernel/kthread.c:334
       ret_from_fork+0x1f/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:287

-> #1 (nfc_devlist_mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}:
       __mutex_lock_common+0x1e5/0x2400 kernel/locking/mutex.c:596
       __mutex_lock kernel/locking/mutex.c:729 [inline]
       mutex_lock_nested+0x17/0x20 kernel/locking/mutex.c:743
       nfc_register_device+0x38/0x300 net/nfc/core.c:1116
       nci_register_device+0x89f/0x9f0 net/nfc/nci/core.c:1276
       virtual_ncidev_open+0x55/0xc0 drivers/nfc/virtual_ncidev.c:146
       misc_open+0x31f/0x390 drivers/char/misc.c:143
       chrdev_open+0x585/0x5f0 fs/char_dev.c:414
       do_dentry_open+0x7f7/0xf90 fs/open.c:826
       do_open fs/namei.c:3616 [inline]
       path_openat+0x2718/0x2fb0 fs/namei.c:3750
       do_filp_open+0x1df/0x400 fs/namei.c:3777
       do_sys_openat2+0x14b/0x500 fs/open.c:1255
       do_sys_open fs/open.c:1271 [inline]
       __do_sys_openat fs/open.c:1287 [inline]
       __se_sys_openat fs/open.c:1282 [inline]
       __x64_sys_openat+0x135/0x160 fs/open.c:1282
       do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/common.c:50 [inline]
       do_syscall_64+0x4c/0xa0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:80
       entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x66/0xd0

-> #0 (nci_mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}:
       check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3053 [inline]
       check_prevs_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3172 [inline]
       validate_chain kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3788 [inline]
       __lock_acquire+0x2c66/0x7b50 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5012
       lock_acquire+0x19e/0x400 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5623
       __mutex_lock_common+0x1e5/0x2400 kernel/locking/mutex.c:596
       __mutex_lock kernel/locking/mutex.c:729 [inline]
       mutex_lock_nested+0x17/0x20 kernel/locking/mutex.c:743
       virtual_nci_close+0x13/0x40 drivers/nfc/virtual_ncidev.c:44
       nci_close_device+0x383/0x600 net/nfc/nci/core.c:591
       nci_unregister_device+0x5e/0x250 net/nfc/nci/core.c:1313
       virtual_ncidev_close+0x55/0x90 drivers/nfc/virtual_ncidev.c:166
       __fput+0x212/0x8c0 fs/file_table.c:311
       task_work_run+0x125/0x1a0 kernel/task_work.c:188
       get_signal+0x123e/0x12e0 kernel/signal.c:2681
       arch_do_signal_or_restart+0xe6/0x12a0 arch/x86/kernel/signal.c:867
       handle_signal_work kernel/entry/common.c:154 [inline]
       exit_to_user_mode_loop+0x9e/0x130 kernel/entry/common.c:178
       exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0xee/0x180 kernel/entry/common.c:214
       __syscall_exit_to_user_mode_work kernel/entry/common.c:296 [inline]
       syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x16/0x40 kernel/entry/common.c:307
       do_syscall_64+0x58/0xa0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:86
       entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x66/0xd0

other info that might help us debug this:

Chain exists of:
  nci_mutex --> &genl_data->genl_data_mutex --> &ndev->req_lock

 Possible unsafe locking scenario:

       CPU0                    CPU1
       ----                    ----
  lock(&ndev->req_lock);
                               lock(&genl_data->genl_data_mutex);
                               lock(&ndev->req_lock);
  lock(nci_mutex);

 *** DEADLOCK ***

1 lock held by syz.1.60/4538:
 #0: ffff888062b43350 (&ndev->req_lock){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: nci_close_device+0x102/0x600 net/nfc/nci/core.c:560

stack backtrace:
CPU: 1 PID: 4538 Comm: syz.1.60 Not tainted syzkaller #0
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 07/24/2026
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 dump_stack_lvl+0x188/0x250 lib/dump_stack.c:106
 check_noncircular+0x296/0x330 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:2133
 check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3053 [inline]
 check_prevs_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3172 [inline]
 validate_chain kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3788 [inline]
 __lock_acquire+0x2c66/0x7b50 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5012
 lock_acquire+0x19e/0x400 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5623
 __mutex_lock_common+0x1e5/0x2400 kernel/locking/mutex.c:596
 __mutex_lock kernel/locking/mutex.c:729 [inline]
 mutex_lock_nested+0x17/0x20 kernel/locking/mutex.c:743
 virtual_nci_close+0x13/0x40 drivers/nfc/virtual_ncidev.c:44
 nci_close_device+0x383/0x600 net/nfc/nci/core.c:591
 nci_unregister_device+0x5e/0x250 net/nfc/nci/core.c:1313
 virtual_ncidev_close+0x55/0x90 drivers/nfc/virtual_ncidev.c:166
 __fput+0x212/0x8c0 fs/file_table.c:311
 task_work_run+0x125/0x1a0 kernel/task_work.c:188
 get_signal+0x123e/0x12e0 kernel/signal.c:2681
 arch_do_signal_or_restart+0xe6/0x12a0 arch/x86/kernel/signal.c:867
 handle_signal_work kernel/entry/common.c:154 [inline]
 exit_to_user_mode_loop+0x9e/0x130 kernel/entry/common.c:178
 exit_to_user_mode_prepare+0xee/0x180 kernel/entry/common.c:214
 __syscall_exit_to_user_mode_work kernel/entry/common.c:296 [inline]
 syscall_exit_to_user_mode+0x16/0x40 kernel/entry/common.c:307
 do_syscall_64+0x58/0xa0 arch/x86/entry/common.c:86
 entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x66/0xd0
RIP: 0033:0x7f44bb6d0019
Code: ff c3 66 2e 0f 1f 84 00 00 00 00 00 0f 1f 44 00 00 48 89 f8 48 89 f7 48 89 d6 48 89 ca 4d 89 c2 4d 89 c8 4c 8b 4c 24 08 0f 05 <48> 3d 01 f0 ff ff 73 01 c3 48 c7 c1 e8 ff ff ff f7 d8 64 89 01 48
RSP: 002b:00007f44b9907028 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000000
RAX: fffffffffffffff2 RBX: 00007f44bb958090 RCX: 00007f44bb6d0019
RDX: 0000000000000102 RSI: 0000200000000840 RDI: 0000000000000003
RBP: 00007f44bb76700c R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000
R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000000
R13: 00007f44bb958128 R14: 00007f44bb958090 R15: 00007ffc184eb138
 </TASK>

Crashes (8):
Time Kernel Commit Syzkaller Config Log Report Syz repro C repro VM info Assets (help?) Manager Title
2026/08/05 02:38 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
2026/08/05 02:29 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
2026/08/05 02:28 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
2026/08/05 02:08 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
2026/08/05 00:48 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
2026/08/05 00:26 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
2026/08/04 21:54 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
2026/08/04 21:46 linux-5.15.y 6e2fd6534337 d4abbeac .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in virtual_nci_close
* Struck through repros no longer work on HEAD.