[PATCH v3 2/2] keys: Serialize ownership transfers with key accounting

[Chengfeng Ye]

Protecting individual accesses to key->user does not make ownership
transfers atomic with accounting updates. keyctl_chown_key() holds
key->sem, but instantiation is serialized by key_construction_mutex and
need not hold that semaphore. KEY_LOOKUP_PARTIAL also permits chown of
an uninstantiated key.

The instantiated-key count can therefore be charged to the wrong owner:

  instantiate                       keyctl_chown_key()
  lock key_user_lock
  increment old->nikeys
  unlock key_user_lock
                                    observe KEY_IS_UNINSTANTIATED
                                    skip the nikeys transfer
                                    replace key->user
  mark key instantiated

The key becomes instantiated under the new owner while the increment
remains with the old owner. Negative instantiation has the same race.

Quota reservation can likewise run between charging the new owner and
replacing key->user. It then adjusts the old owner's quota and changes
key->quotalen while chown is transferring that quota burden.

Extend the key_user_lock critical section in keyctl_chown_key() across
the quota and key-count transfers, state check, and owner replacement.
Also extend the instantiation critical sections across the state update,
so chown observes the count increment and instantiated state together.
The existing per-user quota locks continue to serialize quota changes
against other keys owned by the same user.

Keep allocations, notifications and reference release outside
key_user_lock, and release it on the quota-overrun path.

Fixes: 5801649d8b83 ("[PATCH] keys: let keyctl_chown() change a key's owner")
Cc: stable at vger.kernel.org
Signed-off-by: Chengfeng Ye <nicoyip.dev at gmail.com>
---
Changes in v3:
- Split from v2 as patch 2/2; see the cover letter for the full split.
- Rebase onto current mainline and retain explicit reader-side locking.

v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20260904080940.575882-1-nicoyip.dev@gmail.com/

 security/keys/key.c    | 4 ++--
 security/keys/keyctl.c | 6 ++++--
 2 files changed, 6 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/security/keys/key.c b/security/keys/key.c
index d0d583194b05..54c675b3b58d 100644
--- a/security/keys/key.c
+++ b/security/keys/key.c
@@ -454,8 +454,8 @@ static int __key_instantiate_and_link(struct key *key,
 			/* mark the key as being instantiated */
 			spin_lock(&key_user_lock);
 			atomic_inc(&key->user->nikeys);
-			spin_unlock(&key_user_lock);
 			mark_key_instantiated(key, 0);
+			spin_unlock(&key_user_lock);
 			notify_key(key, NOTIFY_KEY_INSTANTIATED, 0);
 
 			if (test_and_clear_bit(KEY_FLAG_USER_CONSTRUCT, &key->flags))
@@ -613,8 +613,8 @@ int key_reject_and_link(struct key *key,
 		/* mark the key as being negatively instantiated */
 		spin_lock(&key_user_lock);
 		atomic_inc(&key->user->nikeys);
-		spin_unlock(&key_user_lock);
 		mark_key_instantiated(key, -error);
+		spin_unlock(&key_user_lock);
 		notify_key(key, NOTIFY_KEY_INSTANTIATED, -error);
 		key_set_expiry(key, ktime_get_real_seconds() + timeout);
 
diff --git a/security/keys/keyctl.c b/security/keys/keyctl.c
index c17924609317..83a9575b084e 100644
--- a/security/keys/keyctl.c
+++ b/security/keys/keyctl.c
@@ -1004,6 +1004,8 @@ long keyctl_chown_key(key_serial_t id, uid_t user, gid_t group)
 		if (!newowner)
 			goto error_put;
 
+		spin_lock(&key_user_lock);
+
 		/* transfer the quota burden to the new user */
 		if (test_bit(KEY_FLAG_IN_QUOTA, &key->flags)) {
 			unsigned maxkeys = uid_eq(uid, GLOBAL_ROOT_UID) ?
@@ -1036,11 +1038,10 @@ long keyctl_chown_key(key_serial_t id, uid_t user, gid_t group)
 			atomic_inc(&newowner->nikeys);
 		}
 
-		spin_lock(&key_user_lock);
 		zapowner = key->user;
 		key->user = newowner;
-		spin_unlock(&key_user_lock);
 		key->uid = uid;
+		spin_unlock(&key_user_lock);
 	}
 
 	/* change the GID */
@@ -1060,6 +1061,7 @@ long keyctl_chown_key(key_serial_t id, uid_t user, gid_t group)
 
 quota_overrun:
 	spin_unlock_irqrestore(&newowner->lock, flags);
+	spin_unlock(&key_user_lock);
 	zapowner = newowner;
 	ret = -EDQUOT;
 	goto error_put;
-- 
2.43.0