possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir

Status: upstream: reported C repro on 2026/07/24 22:09
Reported-by: syzbot+132c7bcda75d8f9df336@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
First crash: 2d21h, last: 1d17h
Similar bugs (2)
Kernel Title Rank 🛈 Repro Cause bisect Fix bisect Count Last Reported Patched Status
linux-6.1 possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir 4 8 2h42m 2d11h 0/3 upstream: reported on 2026/07/25 09:00
linux-6.6 possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir 4 2 1d14h 2d03h 0/2 upstream: reported on 2026/07/25 16:49

Sample crash report:
======================================================
WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
syzkaller #0 Not tainted
------------------------------------------------------
syz.0.18/4318 is trying to acquire lock:
ffffffff8ceceff0 (gadget_subsys.su_mutex){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: configfs_rmdir+0x638/0x980 fs/configfs/dir.c:1556

but task is already holding lock:
ffff88805ce1f3f0 (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: inode_lock include/linux/fs.h:787 [inline]
ffff88805ce1f3f0 (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: vfs_rmdir+0xe1/0x410 fs/namei.c:4147

which lock already depends on the new lock.


the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is:

-> #2 (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21){+.+.}-{3:3}:
       down_write+0x38/0x60 kernel/locking/rwsem.c:1551
       inode_lock include/linux/fs.h:787 [inline]
       configfs_depend_item_unlocked+0x14f/0x430 fs/configfs/dir.c:1255
       usbg_make_tpg+0x1f3/0x580 drivers/usb/gadget/function/f_tcm.c:1351
       target_fabric_make_tpg+0xa0/0x6d0 drivers/target/target_core_fabric_configfs.c:837
       configfs_mkdir+0x511/0x9e0 fs/configfs/dir.c:1360
       vfs_mkdir+0x386/0x570 fs/namei.c:4073
       do_mkdirat+0x1dd/0x5c0 fs/namei.c:4098
       __do_sys_mkdir fs/namei.c:4118 [inline]
       __se_sys_mkdir fs/namei.c:4116 [inline]
       __x64_sys_mkdir+0x6a/0x80 fs/namei.c:4116
       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

-> #1 (&opts->dep_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
       tcm_set_name+0x26/0x90 drivers/usb/gadget/function/f_tcm.c:2224
       function_make+0x195/0x350 drivers/usb/gadget/configfs.c:620
       configfs_mkdir+0x511/0x9e0 fs/configfs/dir.c:1360
       vfs_mkdir+0x386/0x570 fs/namei.c:4073
       do_mkdirat+0x1dd/0x5c0 fs/namei.c:4098
       __do_sys_mkdir fs/namei.c:4118 [inline]
       __se_sys_mkdir fs/namei.c:4116 [inline]
       __x64_sys_mkdir+0x6a/0x80 fs/namei.c:4116
       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 (gadget_subsys.su_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
       configfs_rmdir+0x638/0x980 fs/configfs/dir.c:1556
       vfs_rmdir+0x19d/0x410 fs/namei.c:4157
       do_rmdir+0x27f/0x710 fs/namei.c:4218
       __do_sys_unlinkat fs/namei.c:4398 [inline]
       __se_sys_unlinkat fs/namei.c:4392 [inline]
       __x64_sys_unlinkat+0xc0/0xe0 fs/namei.c:4392
       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

other info that might help us debug this:

Chain exists of:
  gadget_subsys.su_mutex --> &opts->dep_lock --> &sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21

 Possible unsafe locking scenario:

       CPU0                    CPU1
       ----                    ----
  lock(&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21);
                               lock(&opts->dep_lock);
                               lock(&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21);
  lock(gadget_subsys.su_mutex);

 *** DEADLOCK ***

3 locks held by syz.0.18/4318:
 #0: ffff88801de98460 (sb_writers#13){.+.+}-{0:0}, at: mnt_want_write+0x3d/0x90 fs/namespace.c:386
 #1: ffff88805ce19aa0 (&default_group_class[depth - 1]#2/1){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: inode_lock_nested include/linux/fs.h:822 [inline]
 #1: ffff88805ce19aa0 (&default_group_class[depth - 1]#2/1){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: do_rmdir+0x1b0/0x710 fs/namei.c:4205
 #2: ffff88805ce1f3f0 (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: inode_lock include/linux/fs.h:787 [inline]
 #2: ffff88805ce1f3f0 (&sb->s_type->i_mutex_key#21){+.+.}-{3:3}, at: vfs_rmdir+0xe1/0x410 fs/namei.c:4147

stack backtrace:
CPU: 0 PID: 4318 Comm: syz.0.18 Not tainted syzkaller #0
Hardware name: Google Google Compute Engine/Google Compute Engine, BIOS Google 07/16/2026
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
 configfs_rmdir+0x638/0x980 fs/configfs/dir.c:1556
 vfs_rmdir+0x19d/0x410 fs/namei.c:4157
 do_rmdir+0x27f/0x710 fs/namei.c:4218
 __do_sys_unlinkat fs/namei.c:4398 [inline]
 __se_sys_unlinkat fs/namei.c:4392 [inline]
 __x64_sys_unlinkat+0xc0/0xe0 fs/namei.c:4392
 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
RIP: 0033:0x7f21a30fae99
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:00007ffc6e37bc48 EFLAGS: 00000246 ORIG_RAX: 0000000000000107
RAX: ffffffffffffffda RBX: 00007f21a3382fa0 RCX: 00007f21a30fae99
RDX: 0000000000000200 RSI: 0000200000000480 RDI: ffffffffffffff9c
RBP: 00007f21a3190eaf R08: 0000000000000000 R09: 0000000000000000
R10: 0000000000000000 R11: 0000000000000246 R12: 0000000000000000
R13: 00007f21a3382fac R14: 00007f21a3382fa0 R15: 00007f21a3382fa0
 </TASK>

Crashes (7):
Time Kernel Commit Syzkaller Config Log Report Syz repro C repro VM info Assets (help?) Manager Title
2026/07/26 02:26 linux-5.15.y 674f684f7c61 492bab15 .config console log report syz / log C [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir
2026/07/25 18:10 linux-5.15.y 674f684f7c61 492bab15 .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir
2026/07/25 18:10 linux-5.15.y 674f684f7c61 492bab15 .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir
2026/07/25 09:57 linux-5.15.y 674f684f7c61 492bab15 .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir
2026/07/25 06:59 linux-5.15.y 674f684f7c61 492bab15 .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir
2026/07/24 22:09 linux-5.15.y 674f684f7c61 dd737a83 .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir
2026/07/24 22:08 linux-5.15.y 674f684f7c61 dd737a83 .config console log report info [disk image] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci2-linux-5-15-kasan possible deadlock in configfs_rmdir
* Struck through repros no longer work on HEAD.