Merge tag 'timers-urgent-2026-07-11' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/tip

Pull timer fix from Ingo Molnar:

 - Fix a subtle posix-cpu-timers vs. exec() race, which
   unearthed other races in the area (Thomas Gleixner)

* tag 'timers-urgent-2026-07-11' of git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/tip/tip:
  posix-cpu-timers: Prevent UAF caused by non-leader exec() race

kernel/exit.c

@@ -212,7 +212,12 @@ static void __exit_signal(struct release_task_post *post, struct task_struct *ts
 	__unhash_process(post, tsk, group_dead);
 	write_sequnlock(&sig->stats_lock);
 
-	tsk->sighand = NULL;
+	/*
+	 * Ensure that all preceeding state is visible. Pairs with
+	 * the smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep() in the sighand == NULL
+	 * path of lock_task_sighand().
+	 */
+	smp_store_release(&tsk->sighand, NULL);
 	spin_unlock(&sighand->siglock);
 
 	__cleanup_sighand(sighand);

kernel/signal.c

@@ -1362,8 +1362,16 @@ struct sighand_struct *lock_task_sighand(struct task_struct *tsk,
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	for (;;) {
 		sighand = rcu_dereference(tsk->sighand);
-		if (unlikely(sighand == NULL))
+		if (unlikely(sighand == NULL)) {
+			/*
+			 * Pairs with the smp_store_release() in
+			 * __exit_signal().  It ensures that all state
+			 * modifications to the task preceeding the store are
+			 * visible to the callers of lock_task_sighand().
+			 */
+			smp_acquire__after_ctrl_dep();
 			break;
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * This sighand can be already freed and even reused, but

kernel/time/posix-cpu-timers.c

@@ -461,6 +461,109 @@ static void disarm_timer(struct k_itimer *timer, struct task_struct *p)
 		trigger_base_recalc_expires(timer, p);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Lookup the task via timer->it.cpu.pid and attempt to lock the task's sighand.
+ *
+ * This can race with the reaping of the task:
+ *
+ * CPU0					CPU1
+ *
+ * // Finds task
+ * p = pid_task(pid, pid_type);		__exit_signal(p)
+ *					  lock(p, sighand);
+ *					  posix_cpu_timers*_exit();
+ * sighand = lock_task_sighand(p);	  unhash_task(p);
+ *					  p->sighand = NULL;
+ *					  unlock(sighand);
+ *
+ * In this case sighand is NULL, which means the task and the associated timer
+ * queue cannot be longer accessed safely.
+ *
+ * __exit_signal() invokes posix_cpu_timers_exit() and if the thread group is
+ * dead it also invokes posix_cpu_timers_group_exit(). These functions delete
+ * all pending timers from the related timer queues. The POSIX timers (k_itimer)
+ * themself are still accessible, but not longer connected to the task.
+ *
+ * exec() works slightly differently. The task which exec()'s terminates all
+ * other threads in the thread group and runs __exit_signal() on them. As the
+ * thread group is not dead they only clean up the per task timers via
+ * posix_cpu_timers_exit().
+ *
+ * As the TGID on exec() stays the same per process timers stay queued, if they
+ * are armed. This works without a problem when exec() is done by the thread
+ * group leader. If a non-leader thread exec()'s this can end up in the
+ * following scenario:
+ *
+ * CPU0					CPU1
+ * // Returns old leader
+ * p = pid_task(pid, pid_type);		de_thread()
+ *					switch_leader()
+ *					release_task(old leader)
+ *					  __exit_signal()
+ *					  old_leader->sighand = NULL;
+ * // Returns NULL
+ * sighand = lock_task_sighand(p)
+ *
+ * That's problematic for several functions:
+ *
+ *  - posix_cpu_timer_del(): If the timer is still enqueued on the task the
+ *    underlying k_itimer will be freed which results in a UAF in
+ *    run_posix_cpu_timers() or on timerqueue related add/delete operations.
+ *    If the timer is not enqueued, the failure is harmless
+ *
+ *  - posix_cpu_timer_set(): Independent of the enqueued state that results in a
+ *    transient failure which is user space visible (-ESRCH) for regular posix
+ *    timers. But for the use case in do_cpu_nanosleep() it's the same UAF
+ *    problem just that the timer is allocated on the stack.
+ *
+ *  - posix_cpu_timer_rearm(): Timer is not enqueued at that point, but this
+ *    silently ignores the rearm request, which is a functional problem as the
+ *    timer wont expire anymore.
+ */
+static struct task_struct *timer_lock_sighand(struct k_itimer *timer, unsigned long *flags)
+{
+	enum pid_type type = clock_pid_type(timer->it_clock);
+	struct cpu_timer *ctmr = &timer->it.cpu;
+
+	guard(rcu)();
+
+	for (;;) {
+		struct task_struct *t = pid_task(timer->it.cpu.pid, type);
+
+		/* Fail if the task cannot be found. */
+		if (!t)
+			break;
+
+		/* Try to lock the task's sighand */
+		if (lock_task_sighand(t, flags))
+			return t;
+
+		/*
+		 * The next PID lookup might either fail or return the new
+		 * leader. This is correct for both exit() and exec().
+		 */
+	}
+
+	/*
+	 * If the timer is still enqueued, warn. There is nothing safe to do
+	 * here as there might be two timers in there which are removed in
+	 * parallel and that will cause more damage than good. This should never
+	 * happen!
+	 *
+	 * Ensure that the stores to the timer and timerqueue are visible:
+	 *
+	 * __exit_signal()
+	 *   posix_cpu_timers*_exit()
+	 *   write_seqlock(seqlock)
+	 *	smp_wmb(); <-------
+	 *   __unhash_process()	  |	!pid_task()
+	 *			  ---->	smp_rmb();
+	 *				WARN_ON_ONCE(...)
+	 */
+	smp_rmb();
+	WARN_ON_ONCE(ctmr->head || timerqueue_node_queued(&ctmr->node));
+	return NULL;
+}
 
 /*
  * Clean up a CPU-clock timer that is about to be destroyed.
@@ -470,29 +573,13 @@ static void disarm_timer(struct k_itimer *timer, struct task_struct *p)
  */
 static int posix_cpu_timer_del(struct k_itimer *timer)
 {
-	struct cpu_timer *ctmr = &timer->it.cpu;
-	struct sighand_struct *sighand;
 	struct task_struct *p;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	p = cpu_timer_task_rcu(timer);
-	if (!p)
-		goto out;
+	p = timer_lock_sighand(timer, &flags);
 
-	/*
-	 * Protect against sighand release/switch in exit/exec and process/
-	 * thread timer list entry concurrent read/writes.
-	 */
-	sighand = lock_task_sighand(p, &flags);
-	if (unlikely(sighand == NULL)) {
-		/*
-		 * This raced with the reaping of the task. The exit cleanup
-		 * should have removed this timer from the timer queue.
-		 */
-		WARN_ON_ONCE(ctmr->head || timerqueue_node_queued(&ctmr->node));
-	} else {
+	if (likely(p)) {
 		if (timer->it.cpu.firing) {
 			/*
 			 * Prevent signal delivery. The timer cannot be dequeued
@@ -508,11 +595,8 @@ static int posix_cpu_timer_del(struct k_itimer *timer)
 		unlock_task_sighand(p, &flags);
 	}
 
-out:
-	rcu_read_unlock();
-
 	if (!ret) {
-		put_pid(ctmr->pid);
+		put_pid(timer->it.cpu.pid);
 		timer->it_status = POSIX_TIMER_DISARMED;
 	}
 	return ret;
@@ -626,21 +710,17 @@ static int posix_cpu_timer_set(struct k_itimer *timer, int timer_flags,
 	clockid_t clkid = CPUCLOCK_WHICH(timer->it_clock);
 	struct cpu_timer *ctmr = &timer->it.cpu;
 	u64 old_expires, new_expires, now;
-	struct sighand_struct *sighand;
 	struct task_struct *p;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	int ret = 0;
 
-	rcu_read_lock();
-	p = cpu_timer_task_rcu(timer);
-	if (!p) {
-		/*
-		 * If p has just been reaped, we can no
-		 * longer get any information about it at all.
-		 */
-		rcu_read_unlock();
+	p = timer_lock_sighand(timer, &flags);
+	/*
+	 * If p has just been reaped, we can no longer get any information about
+	 * it at all.
+	 */
+	if (!p)
 		return -ESRCH;
-	}
 
 	/*
 	 * Use the to_ktime conversion because that clamps the maximum
@@ -648,20 +728,6 @@ static int posix_cpu_timer_set(struct k_itimer *timer, int timer_flags,
 	 */
 	new_expires = ktime_to_ns(timespec64_to_ktime(new->it_value));
 
-	/*
-	 * Protect against sighand release/switch in exit/exec and p->cpu_timers
-	 * and p->signal->cpu_timers read/write in arm_timer()
-	 */
-	sighand = lock_task_sighand(p, &flags);
-	/*
-	 * If p has just been reaped, we can no
-	 * longer get any information about it at all.
-	 */
-	if (unlikely(sighand == NULL)) {
-		rcu_read_unlock();
-		return -ESRCH;
-	}
-
 	/* Retrieve the current expiry time before disarming the timer */
 	old_expires = cpu_timer_getexpires(ctmr);
 
@@ -698,7 +764,7 @@ static int posix_cpu_timer_set(struct k_itimer *timer, int timer_flags,
 	/* Retry if the timer expiry is running concurrently */
 	if (unlikely(ret)) {
 		unlock_task_sighand(p, &flags);
-		goto out;
+		return ret;
 	}
 
 	/* Convert relative expiry time to absolute */
@@ -733,8 +799,6 @@ static int posix_cpu_timer_set(struct k_itimer *timer, int timer_flags,
 	 */
 	if (!sigev_none && new_expires && now >= new_expires)
 		cpu_timer_fire(timer);
-out:
-	rcu_read_unlock();
 	return ret;
 }
 
@@ -1018,19 +1082,12 @@ static void check_process_timers(struct task_struct *tsk,
 static bool posix_cpu_timer_rearm(struct k_itimer *timer)
 {
 	clockid_t clkid = CPUCLOCK_WHICH(timer->it_clock);
-	struct sighand_struct *sighand;
 	struct task_struct *p;
 	unsigned long flags;
 	u64 now;
 
-	guard(rcu)();
-	p = cpu_timer_task_rcu(timer);
-	if (!p)
-		return true;
-
-	/* Protect timer list r/w in arm_timer() */
-	sighand = lock_task_sighand(p, &flags);
-	if (unlikely(sighand == NULL))
+	p = timer_lock_sighand(timer, &flags);
+	if (unlikely(!p))
 		return true;
 
 	/*