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

md: recheck spare changes before starting sync

remove_spares() and remove_and_add_spares() modify the array's rdev
configuration. These operations are only safe after the array has been
suspended.

md_start_sync() checks whether spare configuration changes are needed
before taking reconfig_mutex. However, the rdev state can change before
the mutex is acquired, so the initial check can become stale. In that
case, md_choose_sync_action() may remove or replace rdevs while normal
I/O is still accessing them.

The race can occur as follows:

raid10d          Worker                      Normal IO
____________     _______________________     ______________________

                                             raid10_write_request()
                                             wait_blocked_dev()
set Blocked
set Faulty
                                             Skip Faulty rdev
                                             rrdev->nr_pending++
                                             .repl_bio = bio
                 removeable_rdev = false     .
                 array not suspended         .
lock mddev                                   goto err_handle
                 lock mddev (wait)
                 .
update sb        .
clear Blocked    .
                 .
unlock mddev     .
                 lock mddev (acquires)
                 remove_spares()
                 removeable_rdev = true

                 raid10_remove_disk()
                 rdev = replacement
                 replacement = NULL
                                             rdev_dec_pending(NULL)
                 unlock mddev                (NULL)->nr_pending--

In this case, rdev_dec_pending() is called with a NULL pointer,
resulting in a NULL pointer dereference when attempting to decrement
nr_pending.

Fix this by suspending the array when spare configuration changes are
needed, including for non-read-write arrays, and checking again after
taking reconfig_mutex. If the array was not already suspended and a
change is now needed, release the mutex, suspend the array, and
reacquire the mutex before continuing.