syzbot


possible deadlock in worker_thread (4)

Status: upstream: reported on 2026/06/09 22:53
Subsystems: kernel
Labels: prio:low
[Documentation on labels]
Reported-by: syzbot+2085e7afdf5e45082044@syzkaller.appspotmail.com
First crash: 2d13h, last: 2d13h
✨ AI Jobs (1)
ID Workflow Result Correct Bug Created Started Finished Revision Error
d1b22b95-b6e4-4f94-800f-f16a212b49de assessment-security DenialOfService: ❌ Exploitable: ❌ FilesystemTrigger: ❌ NetworkTrigger: ❌ PeripheralTrigger: ❌ RemoteTrigger: ❌ Unprivileged: ❌ UserNamespace: ❌ VMGuestTrigger: ❌ VMHostTrigger: ❌ possible deadlock in worker_thread (4) 2026/06/09 11:50 2026/06/09 11:50 2026/06/09 12:31 c36c07f6c1f2230a36374cbd22235f635e8f9284
Discussions (1)
Title Replies (including bot) Last reply
[syzbot] [kernel?] possible deadlock in worker_thread (4) 0 (1) 2026/06/09 22:53
Similar bugs (3)
Kernel Title Rank 🛈 Repro Cause bisect Fix bisect Count Last Reported Patched Status
upstream possible deadlock in worker_thread rdma 4 1 1584d 1580d 22/29 fixed on 2023/02/24 14:17
upstream possible deadlock in worker_thread (3) kernel prio:low 4 1 113d 109d 0/29 auto-obsoleted due to no activity on 2026/05/27 16:37
upstream possible deadlock in worker_thread (2) kernel 4 1 356d 352d 0/29 auto-obsoleted due to no activity on 2025/09/27 01:36

Sample crash report:
======================================================
WARNING: possible circular locking dependency detected
syzkaller #0 Tainted: G             L     
------------------------------------------------------
kworker/u33:1/5095 is trying to acquire lock:
ffff888029b3d260 (&nbd->config_lock){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock+0x51/0x100 lib/refcount.c:118

but task is already holding lock:
ffffc90028a4fd08 ((work_completion)(&args->work)){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x973/0x1980 kernel/workqueue.c:3290

which lock already depends on the new lock.


the existing dependency chain (in reverse order) is:

-> #2 ((work_completion)(&args->work)){+.+.}-{0:0}:
       process_one_work+0x979/0x1980 kernel/workqueue.c:3290
       process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3397 [inline]
       worker_thread+0x5ef/0xe50 kernel/workqueue.c:3478
       kthread+0x370/0x450 kernel/kthread.c:436
       ret_from_fork+0x72b/0xd50 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158
       ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245

-> #1 ((wq_completion)nbd2-recv){+.+.}-{0:0}:
       touch_wq_lockdep_map+0xad/0x1c0 kernel/workqueue.c:4029
       __flush_workqueue+0x131/0x1200 kernel/workqueue.c:4071
       nbd_disconnect_and_put+0x9b/0x1c0 drivers/block/nbd.c:2264
       nbd_genl_disconnect+0x34b/0x4e0 drivers/block/nbd.c:2303
       genl_family_rcv_msg_doit+0x214/0x300 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1114
       genl_family_rcv_msg net/netlink/genetlink.c:1194 [inline]
       genl_rcv_msg+0x560/0x800 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1209
       netlink_rcv_skb+0x159/0x420 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:2555
       genl_rcv+0x28/0x40 net/netlink/genetlink.c:1218
       netlink_unicast_kernel net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1318 [inline]
       netlink_unicast+0x585/0x850 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1344
       netlink_sendmsg+0x8b0/0xda0 net/netlink/af_netlink.c:1899
       sock_sendmsg_nosec net/socket.c:787 [inline]
       __sock_sendmsg net/socket.c:802 [inline]
       ____sys_sendmsg+0x9e1/0xb70 net/socket.c:2698
       ___sys_sendmsg+0x190/0x1e0 net/socket.c:2752
       __sys_sendmsg+0x170/0x220 net/socket.c:2784
       do_syscall_x64 arch/x86/entry/syscall_64.c:63 [inline]
       do_syscall_64+0x115/0x870 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+0x14b8/0x2630 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5237
       lock_acquire kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5868 [inline]
       lock_acquire+0x1b1/0x370 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5825
       __mutex_lock_common kernel/locking/mutex.c:646 [inline]
       __mutex_lock+0x1a4/0x1b10 kernel/locking/mutex.c:820
       refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock+0x51/0x100 lib/refcount.c:118
       nbd_config_put+0x31/0x750 drivers/block/nbd.c:1434
       recv_work+0x63a/0x8c0 drivers/block/nbd.c:1026
       process_one_work+0xa0e/0x1980 kernel/workqueue.c:3314
       process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3397 [inline]
       worker_thread+0x5ef/0xe50 kernel/workqueue.c:3478
       kthread+0x370/0x450 kernel/kthread.c:436
       ret_from_fork+0x72b/0xd50 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)nbd2-recv --> (work_completion)(&args->work)

 Possible unsafe locking scenario:

       CPU0                    CPU1
       ----                    ----
  lock((work_completion)(&args->work));
                               lock((wq_completion)nbd2-recv);
                               lock((work_completion)(&args->work));
  lock(&nbd->config_lock);

 *** DEADLOCK ***

2 locks held by kworker/u33:1/5095:
 #0: ffff888029bbc940 ((wq_completion)nbd1-recv){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x12d6/0x1980 kernel/workqueue.c:3289
 #1: ffffc90028a4fd08 ((work_completion)(&args->work)){+.+.}-{0:0}, at: process_one_work+0x973/0x1980 kernel/workqueue.c:3290

stack backtrace:
CPU: 1 UID: 0 PID: 5095 Comm: kworker/u33:1 Tainted: G             L      syzkaller #0 PREEMPT(full) 
Tainted: [L]=SOFTLOCKUP
Hardware name: QEMU Standard PC (Q35 + ICH9, 2009), BIOS 1.16.3-debian-1.16.3-2 04/01/2014
Workqueue: nbd1-recv recv_work
Call Trace:
 <TASK>
 __dump_stack lib/dump_stack.c:94 [inline]
 dump_stack_lvl+0x100/0x190 lib/dump_stack.c:120
 print_circular_bug.cold+0x178/0x1c7 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:2043
 check_noncircular+0x146/0x160 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+0x14b8/0x2630 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5237
 lock_acquire kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5868 [inline]
 lock_acquire+0x1b1/0x370 kernel/locking/lockdep.c:5825
 __mutex_lock_common kernel/locking/mutex.c:646 [inline]
 __mutex_lock+0x1a4/0x1b10 kernel/locking/mutex.c:820
 refcount_dec_and_mutex_lock+0x51/0x100 lib/refcount.c:118
 nbd_config_put+0x31/0x750 drivers/block/nbd.c:1434
 recv_work+0x63a/0x8c0 drivers/block/nbd.c:1026
 process_one_work+0xa0e/0x1980 kernel/workqueue.c:3314
 process_scheduled_works kernel/workqueue.c:3397 [inline]
 worker_thread+0x5ef/0xe50 kernel/workqueue.c:3478
 kthread+0x370/0x450 kernel/kthread.c:436
 ret_from_fork+0x72b/0xd50 arch/x86/kernel/process.c:158
 ret_from_fork_asm+0x1a/0x30 arch/x86/entry/entry_64.S:245
 </TASK>

Crashes (1):
Time Kernel Commit Syzkaller Config Log Report Syz repro C repro VM info Assets (help?) Manager Title
2026/06/07 22:21 upstream 33d8d8ec31b5 cc095639 .config console log report info [disk image (non-bootable)] [vmlinux] [kernel image] ci-qemu-upstream possible deadlock in worker_thread
* Struck through repros no longer work on HEAD.