Subject: Re: [PATCH] net: phonet: fix BUG_ON() in pn_socket_autobind()

From: Jakub Kicinski <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 27 Apr 2026 17:54:33 -0700

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---
net: phonet: fix BUG_ON() in pn_socket_autobind()

This commit fixes a kernel crash in pn_socket_autobind() by checking
the socket's bound state directly before calling pn_socket_bind(),
eliminating ambiguous -EINVAL interpretation.

Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=706f5eb79044e686c794

> pn_socket_autobind() calls pn_socket_bind() and treats
> -EINVAL as a signal that the socket was already bound,
> then uses BUG_ON() to verify it:
>
>     if (err != -EINVAL)
>         return err;
>     BUG_ON(!pn_port(pn_sk(sock->sk)->sobject));
>
> However, pn_socket_bind() returns -EINVAL in multiple
> cases:
>
>   1. address length too short

The commit message lists "address length too short" as a cause of the
BUG_ON crash, but is this accurate?

Looking at pn_socket_autobind(), it always passes
len=sizeof(struct sockaddr_pn) to pn_socket_bind():

    err = pn_socket_bind(sock, (struct sockaddr_unsized *)&sa,
                         sizeof(struct sockaddr_pn));

While pn_socket_bind() does have this check:

    if (len < sizeof(struct sockaddr_pn))
        return -EINVAL;

This case cannot be triggered through pn_socket_autobind() since it
always passes the correct length. The BUG_ON is only reachable through
pn_socket_autobind(), so listing this as a cause seems misleading.

Should the commit message be updated to remove case 1, or clarify that
it's describing pn_socket_bind() in general rather than paths that can
trigger the BUG_ON?

>   2. socket not in TCP_CLOSE state

Can case 2 (socket not in TCP_CLOSE state) actually trigger the BUG_ON
crash with sobject still zero?

The combined check in pn_socket_bind() is:

    if (sk->sk_state != TCP_CLOSE || pn_port(pn->sobject)) {
        err = -EINVAL;
        goto out;
    }

For the BUG_ON to fire, we need sk_state != TCP_CLOSE while sobject
remains zero (unbound). Looking at phonet state transitions:

- pn_socket_connect() binds the socket before changing state
- pn_socket_listen() binds the socket before changing state
- pep_sock_accept() creates sockets with state=TCP_SYN_RECV but also
  sets sobject
- pep_ioctl(SIOCPNENABLEPIPE) checks sobject before changing state

Is there a code path that changes sk_state to non-TCP_CLOSE without
first binding the socket? The syzbot crash is real, but the mechanism
described couldn't be verified. Could this involve a race condition or
a different code path?

>   3. socket already bound  <- only intended case
>
> When -EINVAL comes from cases 1 or 2, sobject is still
> zero (never assigned), causing BUG_ON to fire and crash
> the kernel.

Given the issues with cases 1 and 2 above, is the explanation of the
crash mechanism accurate? Case 1 cannot happen from pn_socket_autobind(),
and case 2's ability to leave sobject at zero while triggering -EINVAL
could not be verified.

The syzbot crash is confirmed (RIP at pn_socket_autobind
net/phonet/socket.c:213 via pn_socket_sendmsg), but could the commit
message more accurately describe how the crash actually occurs?

> diff --git a/net/phonet/socket.c b/net/phonet/socket.c
> index c4af26357144..5a55e7d14e85 100644
> --- a/net/phonet/socket.c
> +++ b/net/phonet/socket.c
> @@ -204,14 +204,14 @@ static int pn_socket_autobind(struct socket *sock)
>  	struct sockaddr_pn sa;
>  	int err;
>
> +	if (pn_port(pn_sk(sock->sk)->sobject))
> +		return 0; /* socket was already bound */
> +
>  	memset(&sa, 0, sizeof(sa));
>  	sa.spn_family = AF_PHONET;
>  	err = pn_socket_bind(sock, (struct sockaddr_unsized *)&sa,
>  			     sizeof(struct sockaddr_pn));
> -	if (err != -EINVAL)
> -		return err;
> -	BUG_ON(!pn_port(pn_sk(sock->sk)->sobject));
> -	return 0; /* socket was already bound */
> +	return err;
>  }

The fix itself is correct and removes the dangerous BUG_ON(). However,
the pn_port(sobject) check is performed without holding any lock. Could
a concurrent pn_socket_bind() race with this check? This is likely
benign since pn_socket_bind() re-checks under lock_sock(), but is this
the intended behavior?
-- 
pw-bot: cr