Description
In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

nvme-fc: fix double free of fabrics options when nvme_add_ctrl() fails

nvmf_create_ctrl() owns the fabrics options and frees them whenever
->create_ctrl() returns an error, so a transport must not free them on
its own error paths. nvme-fc tracks this by testing ctrl->ctrl.opts in
nvme_fc_ctrl_free(), which requires nvme_fc_init_ctrl() to clear that
pointer on every error exit.

The coupling is implicit, and commit 1a9e218195a5 ("nvme: split device
add from initialization") broke it by adding a second error exit. When
nvme_add_ctrl() fails, nvme_fc_init_ctrl() jumps to out_put_ctrl:, past
the "ctrl->ctrl.opts = NULL" that only sits on the fail_ctrl: path, so
nvme_fc_ctrl_free() frees the options and nvmf_create_ctrl() frees them
a second time:

BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in nvmf_free_options+0x30/0x190
nvmf_free_options+0x30/0x190 drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c:1284
nvmf_create_ctrl drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c:1374 [inline]
Freed by task 5534:
nvme_fc_ctrl_free drivers/nvme/host/fc.c:2374 [inline]
nvme_fc_init_ctrl+0xe17/0x1450 drivers/nvme/host/fc.c:3605

nvme_add_ctrl() fails when dev_set_name() cannot allocate, so this is
reachable under memory pressure or fault injection. Without KASAN the
options are freed twice.

Rather than clear the pointer on the second exit as well, derive
ownership the way nvme-tcp, nvme-rdma and nvme-loop do, from list
membership: their free_ctrl leaves the options alone unless the
controller made it onto the transport list.

The list cannot simply be populated on the success path as it is there.
nvme-fc runs the initial connect synchronously via flush_delayed_work(),
and the controller has to be reachable on rport->ctrl_list for the whole
of it: nvme_fc_unregister_remoteport() needs to find it to signal
connectivity loss, nvme_fc_match_disconn_ls() matches an incoming
Disconnect Association LS against ctrl->association_id, which is only
assigned during that window, nvme_fc_resume_controller() needs it on
remoteport re-registration, and nvme_fc_existing_controller() uses it to
reject a duplicate connect racing the one in flight.

Keep the insertion where it is and add a fail_unlist: label, falling
into fail_ctrl:, for the error paths that run after it. The earlier
error paths never reach the insertion and keep using fail_ctrl:
directly, so the list is only touched where the controller is actually
on it.

nvme_fc_ctrl_free() cannot use the plain "goto free_ctrl" the other
transports use, because it still has to put_device(), release the rport
reference and free the ida entry for resources taken before the
insertion. Sample list_empty() under rport->lock instead.

ctrl->ctrl.opts also stays valid for the whole teardown now. That is
not the bug being fixed, but it removes some fragility around the old
idiom: nvme_free_ctrl() calls nvme_auth_free() before ->free_ctrl(), and
ctrl_max_dhchaps() dereferences ctrl->opts without a NULL check when
ctrl->dhchap_ctxs is set, which nvme-fc permits since NVMF_ALLOWED_OPTS
allows the dhchap options. The nvme sysfs attributes that dereference
ctrl->opts, such as hostnqn and address, evaluate their is_visible()
test once at device_add() time and stay readable until
cdev_device_del().
Published: 2026-09-16
Score: 7.5 High
EPSS: n/a
KEV: No
Impact: n/a
Action: n/a
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History

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Metrics cvssV3_1

{'score': 7.5, 'vector': 'CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:H/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'}

Wed, 16 Sep 2026 10:45:00 +0000

Type Values Removed Values Added
Description In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved: nvme-fc: fix double free of fabrics options when nvme_add_ctrl() fails nvmf_create_ctrl() owns the fabrics options and frees them whenever ->create_ctrl() returns an error, so a transport must not free them on its own error paths. nvme-fc tracks this by testing ctrl->ctrl.opts in nvme_fc_ctrl_free(), which requires nvme_fc_init_ctrl() to clear that pointer on every error exit. The coupling is implicit, and commit 1a9e218195a5 ("nvme: split device add from initialization") broke it by adding a second error exit. When nvme_add_ctrl() fails, nvme_fc_init_ctrl() jumps to out_put_ctrl:, past the "ctrl->ctrl.opts = NULL" that only sits on the fail_ctrl: path, so nvme_fc_ctrl_free() frees the options and nvmf_create_ctrl() frees them a second time: BUG: KASAN: slab-use-after-free in nvmf_free_options+0x30/0x190 nvmf_free_options+0x30/0x190 drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c:1284 nvmf_create_ctrl drivers/nvme/host/fabrics.c:1374 [inline] Freed by task 5534: nvme_fc_ctrl_free drivers/nvme/host/fc.c:2374 [inline] nvme_fc_init_ctrl+0xe17/0x1450 drivers/nvme/host/fc.c:3605 nvme_add_ctrl() fails when dev_set_name() cannot allocate, so this is reachable under memory pressure or fault injection. Without KASAN the options are freed twice. Rather than clear the pointer on the second exit as well, derive ownership the way nvme-tcp, nvme-rdma and nvme-loop do, from list membership: their free_ctrl leaves the options alone unless the controller made it onto the transport list. The list cannot simply be populated on the success path as it is there. nvme-fc runs the initial connect synchronously via flush_delayed_work(), and the controller has to be reachable on rport->ctrl_list for the whole of it: nvme_fc_unregister_remoteport() needs to find it to signal connectivity loss, nvme_fc_match_disconn_ls() matches an incoming Disconnect Association LS against ctrl->association_id, which is only assigned during that window, nvme_fc_resume_controller() needs it on remoteport re-registration, and nvme_fc_existing_controller() uses it to reject a duplicate connect racing the one in flight. Keep the insertion where it is and add a fail_unlist: label, falling into fail_ctrl:, for the error paths that run after it. The earlier error paths never reach the insertion and keep using fail_ctrl: directly, so the list is only touched where the controller is actually on it. nvme_fc_ctrl_free() cannot use the plain "goto free_ctrl" the other transports use, because it still has to put_device(), release the rport reference and free the ida entry for resources taken before the insertion. Sample list_empty() under rport->lock instead. ctrl->ctrl.opts also stays valid for the whole teardown now. That is not the bug being fixed, but it removes some fragility around the old idiom: nvme_free_ctrl() calls nvme_auth_free() before ->free_ctrl(), and ctrl_max_dhchaps() dereferences ctrl->opts without a NULL check when ctrl->dhchap_ctxs is set, which nvme-fc permits since NVMF_ALLOWED_OPTS allows the dhchap options. The nvme sysfs attributes that dereference ctrl->opts, such as hostnqn and address, evaluate their is_visible() test once at device_add() time and stay readable until cdev_device_del().
Title nvme-fc: fix double free of fabrics options when nvme_add_ctrl() fails
First Time appeared Linux
Linux linux Kernel
CPEs cpe:2.3:o:linux:linux_kernel:*:*:*:*:*:*:*:*
Vendors & Products Linux
Linux linux Kernel
References

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Linux Linux Kernel
cve-icon MITRE

Status: PUBLISHED

Assigner: Linux

Published:

Updated: 2026-09-16T14:40:56.569Z

Reserved: 2026-09-11T19:38:34.779Z

Link: CVE-2026-89974

cve-icon Vulnrichment

No data.

cve-icon NVD

Status : Received

Published: 2026-09-16T11:17:08.200

Modified: 2026-09-16T15:18:21.897

Link: CVE-2026-89974

cve-icon Redhat

No data.

cve-icon OpenCVE Enrichment

No data.

Weaknesses

No weakness.