iptables/nftables has two types of log modules:
1. backend, e.g. nf_log_syslog, which implement the functionality
2. frontend, e.g. xt_LOG or nft_log, which call the functionality
provided by backend based on nf_tables or xtables rule set.
Problem is that the request_module() call to load the backed in
nf_logger_find_get() might happen with nftables transaction mutex held
in case the call path is via nf_tables/nft_compat.
This can cause deadlocks (see 'Fixes' tags for details).
The chosen solution as to let modprobe deal with this by adding 'pre: '
soft dep tag to xt_LOG (to load the syslog backend) and xt_NFLOG (to
load nflog backend).
Eric reports that this breaks on systems with older modprobe that
doesn't support softdeps.
Another, similar issue occurs when someone either insmods xt_(NF)LOG
directly or unloads the backend module (possible if no log frontend
is in use): because the frontend module is already loaded, modprobe is
not invoked again so the softdep isn't evaluated.
Add a workaround: If nf_logger_find_get() returns -ENOENT and call
is not via nft_compat, load the backend explicitly and try again.
Else, let nft_compat ask for deferred request_module via nf_tables
infra.
Softdeps are kept in-place, so with newer modprobe the dependencies
are resolved from userspace.
Fixes: cefa31a9d4 ("netfilter: nft_log: perform module load from nf_tables")
Fixes: a38b5b56d6 ("netfilter: nf_log: add module softdeps")
Reported-and-tested-by: Eric Dumazet <edumazet@google.com>
Signed-off-by: Florian Westphal <fw@strlen.de>
Signed-off-by: Pablo Neira Ayuso <pablo@netfilter.org>
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