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

ptp: remove ptp->n_vclocks check logic in ptp_vclock_in_use()

There is no disagreement that we should check both ptp->is_virtual_clock and ptp->n_vclocks to check if the ptp virtual clock is in use.

However, when we acquire ptp->n_vclocks_mux to read ptp->n_vclocks in ptp_vclock_in_use(), we observe a recursive lock in the call trace starting from n_vclocks_store().

============================================ WARNING: possible recursive locking detected 6.15.0-rc6 #1 Not tainted

syz.0.1540/13807 is trying to acquire lock: ffff888035a24868 (&ptp->n_vclocks_mux){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: ptp_vclock_in_use drivers/ptp/ptp_private.h:103 [inline] ffff888035a24868 (&ptp->n_vclocks_mux){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: ptp_clock_unregister+0x21/0x250 drivers/ptp/ptp_clock.c:415

but task is already holding lock: ffff888030704868 (&ptp->n_vclocks_mux){+.+.}-{4:4}, at: n_vclocks_store+0xf1/0x6d0 drivers/ptp/ptp_sysfs.c:215

other info that might help us debug this: Possible unsafe locking scenario:

   CPU0
   ----

lock(&ptp->n_vclocks_mux); lock(&ptp->n_vclocks_mux);

*** DEADLOCK *** ….

The best way to solve this is to remove the logic that checks ptp->n_vclocks in ptp_vclock_in_use().

The reason why this is appropriate is that any path that uses ptp->n_vclocks must unconditionally check if ptp->n_vclocks is greater than 0 before unregistering vclocks, and all functions are already written this way. And in the function that uses ptp->n_vclocks, we already get ptp->n_vclocks_mux before unregistering vclocks.

Therefore, we need to remove the redundant check for ptp->n_vclocks in ptp_vclock_in_use() to prevent recursive locking.

Affected Software

References

• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/259119595227fd20f6aa29d85abe086b6fdd9eb1
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/5d217e7031a5c06d366580fc6ddbf43527b780d4
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/87f7ce260a3c838b49e1dc1ceedf1006795157a2
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b1b73c452331451020be3bf4b014901015ae6663
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b93e6fef4eda48e17d9c642b9abad98a066fd4a3
• https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/ef8fc007c28a30a4c0d90bf755e0f343d99bb392
• https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html