From: Florian Westphal <fw@xxxxxxxxx> Thomas and Juliana report a deadlock when running: (rmmod nf_conntrack_netlink/xfrm_user) conntrack -e NEW -E & modprobe -v xfrm_user They provided following analysis: conntrack -e NEW -E netlink_bind() netlink_lock_table() -> increases "nl_table_users" nfnetlink_bind() # does not unlock the table as it's locked by netlink_bind() __request_module() call_usermodehelper_exec() This triggers "modprobe nf_conntrack_netlink" from kernel, netlink_bind() won't return until modprobe process is done. "modprobe xfrm_user": xfrm_user_init() register_pernet_subsys() -> grab pernet_ops_rwsem .. netlink_table_grab() calls schedule() as "nl_table_users" is non-zero so modprobe is blocked because netlink_bind() increased nl_table_users while also holding pernet_ops_rwsem. "modprobe nf_conntrack_netlink" runs and inits nf_conntrack_netlink: ctnetlink_init() register_pernet_subsys() -> blocks on "pernet_ops_rwsem" thanks to xfrm_user module both modprobe processes wait on one another -- neither can make progress. Switch netlink_bind() to "nowait" modprobe -- this releases the netlink table lock, which then allows both modprobe instances to complete. Reported-by: Thomas Jarosch <thomas.jarosch@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Reported-by: Juliana Rodrigueiro <juliana.rodrigueiro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Florian Westphal <fw@xxxxxxxxx> Signed-off-by: Pablo Neira Ayuso <pablo@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> --- net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c | 2 +- 1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-) diff --git a/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c b/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c index 92077d459109..4abbb452cf6c 100644 --- a/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c +++ b/net/netfilter/nfnetlink.c @@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ static int nfnetlink_bind(struct net *net, int group) ss = nfnetlink_get_subsys(type << 8); rcu_read_unlock(); if (!ss) - request_module("nfnetlink-subsys-%d", type); + request_module_nowait("nfnetlink-subsys-%d", type); return 0; } #endif -- 2.11.0