syzbot


possible deadlock in worker_thread (3)

Status: upstream: reported on 2026/02/20 16:41
Subsystems: kernel
[Documentation on labels]
Reported-by: syzbot+0b6ec149bb8b98bd9485@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
First crash: 6d16h, last: 6d16h
Discussions (1)
Title Replies (including bot) Last reply
[syzbot] [kernel?] possible deadlock in worker_thread (3) 1 (2) 2026/02/22 21:46
Similar bugs (2)
Kernel Title Rank 🛈 Repro Cause bisect Fix bisect Count Last Reported Patched Status
upstream possible deadlock in worker_thread rdma 4 1 1477d 1473d 22/29 fixed on 2023/02/24 14:17
upstream possible deadlock in worker_thread (2) kernel 4 1 249d 245d 0/29 auto-obsoleted due to no activity on 2025/09/27 01:36

Sample crash report:
block nbd1: Receive control failed (result -32)
======================================================
WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
syzkaller #0 Not tainted
------------------------------------------------------
kworker/u9:3/5827 is trying to acquire lock:
ffff8880275b9a78 (&nbd->config_lock){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock+0x30/0xa0 lib/refcount.c:118

but task is already holding lock:
ffffc90003bd7c40 ((work_completion)(&args->work)#3){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x87c/0x1650 kernel/workqueue.c:3255

which lock already depends on the new lock.


the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is:

-> #2 ((work_completion)(&args->work)#3){+.+.}-{0:0}:
       process_one_work+0x895/0x1650 kernel/workqueue.c:3255
       process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3362 [inline]
       worker_thread+0xb46/0x1140 kernel/workqueue.c:3443
       kthread+0x388/0x470 kernel/kthread.c:467
       ret_from_fork+0x51e/0xb90 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158
       ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245

-> #1 ((wq_completion)nbd3-recv){+.+.}-{0:0}:
       touch_wq_lockdep_map+0xcb/0x180 kernel/workqueue.c:3994
       __flush_workqueue+0x14b/0x14f0 kernel/workqueue.c:4036
       nbd_disconnect_and_put+0x9e/0x2c0 drivers/block/nbd.c:2264
       nbd_genl_disconnect+0x4a9/0x590 drivers/block/nbd.c:2303
       genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x22a/0x330 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1115
       genl_family_rcv_msg net/netlink/genetlink.c:1195 [inline]
       genl_rcv_msg+0x61c/0x7a0 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1210
       netlink_rcv_skb+0x232/0x4b0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2550
       genl_rcv+0x28/0x40 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1219
       netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1318 [inline]
       netlink_unicast+0x80f/0x9b0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1344
       netlink_sendmsg+0x813/0xb40 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1894
       sock_sendmsg_nosec+0x18f/0x1d0 net/socket.c:737
       __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:752 [inline]
       ____sys_sendmsg+0x589/0x8c0 net/socket.c:2610
       ___sys_sendmsg+0x2a5/0x360 net/socket.c:2664
       __sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2696 [inline]
       __do_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2701 [inline]
       __se_sys_sendmsg net/socket.c:2699 [inline]
       __x64_sys_sendmsg+0x1bd/0x2a0 net/socket.c:2699
       do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline]
       do_syscall_64+0x14d/0xf80 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:94
       entry_SYSCALL_64_after_hwframe+0x77/0x7f

-> #0 (&nbd->config_lock){+.+.}-{4:4}:
       check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3165 [inline]
       check_prevs_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3284 [inline]
       validate_chain kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3908 [inline]
       __lock_acquire+0x15a5/0x2cf0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5237
       lock_acquire+0xf0/0x2e0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5868
       __mutex_lock_common kernel/locking/mutex.c:614 [inline]
       __mutex_lock+0x19f/0x1300 kernel/locking/mutex.c:776
       refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock+0x30/0xa0 lib/refcount.c:118
       nbd_config_put+0x2c/0x580 drivers/block/nbd.c:1434
       recv_work+0x1cc1/0x1d90 drivers/block/nbd.c:1026
       process_one_work+0x949/0x1650 kernel/workqueue.c:3279
       process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3362 [inline]
       worker_thread+0xb46/0x1140 kernel/workqueue.c:3443
       kthread+0x388/0x470 kernel/kthread.c:467
       ret_from_fork+0x51e/0xb90 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158
       ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245

other info that might help us debug this:

Chain exists of:
  &nbd->config_lock --> (wq_completion)nbd3-recv --> (work_completion)(&args->work)#3

 Possible unsafe locking scenario:

       CPU0                    CPU1
       ----                    ----
  lock((work_completion)(&args->work)#3);
                               lock((wq_completion)nbd3-recv);
                               lock((work_completion)(&args->work)#3);
  lock(&nbd->config_lock);

 *** DEADLOCK ***

2 locks held by kworker/u9:3/5827:
 #0: ffff8880275c9148 ((wq_completion)nbd1-recv){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x855/0x1650 kernel/workqueue.c:3254
 #1: ffffc90003bd7c40 ((work_completion)(&args->work)#3){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x87c/0x1650 kernel/workqueue.c:3255

stack backtrace:
CPU: 0 UID: 0 PID: 5827 Comm: kworker/u9:3 Not tainted syzkaller #0 PREEMPT(full) 
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 02/12/2026
Workqueue: nbd1-recv recv_work
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 dump_stack_lvl+0xe8/0x150 lib/dump_stack.c:120
 print_circular_bug+0x2e1/0x300 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:2043
 check_noncircular+0x12e/0x150 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:2175
 check_prev_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3165 [inline]
 check_prevs_add kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3284 [inline]
 validate_chain kernel/locking/lockdep.c:3908 [inline]
 __lock_acquire+0x15a5/0x2cf0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5237
 lock_acquire+0xf0/0x2e0 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5868
 __mutex_lock_common kernel/locking/mutex.c:614 [inline]
 __mutex_lock+0x19f/0x1300 kernel/locking/mutex.c:776
 refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock+0x30/0xa0 lib/refcount.c:118
 nbd_config_put+0x2c/0x580 drivers/block/nbd.c:1434
 recv_work+0x1cc1/0x1d90 drivers/block/nbd.c:1026
 process_one_work+0x949/0x1650 kernel/workqueue.c:3279
 process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3362 [inline]
 worker_thread+0xb46/0x1140 kernel/workqueue.c:3443
 kthread+0x388/0x470 kernel/kthread.c:467
 ret_from_fork+0x51e/0xb90 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158
 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245
 </TASK>
block nbd1: shutting down sockets

Crashes (1):
Time Kernel Commit Syzkaller Config Log Report Syz repro C repro VM info Assets (help?) Manager Title
2026/02/16 16:36 linux-next 635c467cc14e 5d52cba5 .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci-upstream-rust-kasan-gce possible deadlock in worker_thread
* Struck through repros no longer work on HEAD.