[RFC PATCH 2/2] mm/damon/core: fix damon_call() vs kdamond_fn() exit race deadlock

From: SeongJae Park

Date: Thu Mar 26 2026 - 02:24:01 EST


When kdamond_fn() main loop is finished, the function cancels all
remaining damon_call() requests and unset the damon_ctx->kdamond so that
API callers can show the context is terminated. damon_call() adds the
caller's request to the queue first. After that, it shows if the
kdamond is of the damon_ctx is still running (damon_ctx->kdamond is
set). Only if the kdamond is running, damon_call() starts waiting for
the kdamond's handling of the newly added request.

The damon_call() requests registration and damon_ctx->kdamond unset are
protected by different mutexes, though. Hence, damon_call() could race
with damon_ctx->kdamond unset, and results in deadlocks.

For example, let's suppose kdamond successfully finished the
damon_call() requests cancelling. Right after that, damon_call() is
called for the context. It registers the new request, and show the
context is still running, because damon_ctx->kdamond unset is not yet
done. Hence the damon_call() caller starts waiting for the handling of
the request. However, the kdamond is already on the termination steps,
so never handles the new request. As a result, the damon_call() caller
threads infinitely waits.

Fix this by introducing another damon_ctx field, namely
call_controls_obsolete. It is protected by the
damon_ctx->call_controls_lock, which protects damon_call() registration.
Initialize (unset) it in kdamond_init_ctx() and set just before the
cancelling of remaining damon_call() is executed. damon_call() reads
the obsolete field under the lock and avoid adding a new request.

After this change, only requests that guaranteed to be handled or
cancelled are registered. Hence the after-registration DAMON context
termination check is no more needed. Remove it together.

The issue is found by sashiko [1].

[1] https://lore.kernel.org/20260325141956.87144-1-sj@xxxxxxxxxx

Fixes: 42b7491af14c ("mm/damon/core: introduce damon_call()")
Cc: <stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> # 6.14.x
Signed-off-by: SeongJae Park <sj@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
include/linux/damon.h | 1 +
mm/damon/core.c | 41 ++++++++++-------------------------------
2 files changed, 11 insertions(+), 31 deletions(-)

diff --git a/include/linux/damon.h b/include/linux/damon.h
index d9a3babbafc16..5129de70e7b70 100644
--- a/include/linux/damon.h
+++ b/include/linux/damon.h
@@ -818,6 +818,7 @@ struct damon_ctx {

/* lists of &struct damon_call_control */
struct list_head call_controls;
+ bool call_controls_obsolete;
struct mutex call_controls_lock;

struct damos_walk_control *walk_control;
diff --git a/mm/damon/core.c b/mm/damon/core.c
index db6c67e52d2b8..a2b553e2c5a81 100644
--- a/mm/damon/core.c
+++ b/mm/damon/core.c
@@ -1573,35 +1573,6 @@ int damon_kdamond_pid(struct damon_ctx *ctx)
return pid;
}

-/*
- * damon_call_handle_inactive_ctx() - handle DAMON call request that added to
- * an inactive context.
- * @ctx: The inactive DAMON context.
- * @control: Control variable of the call request.
- *
- * This function is called in a case that @control is added to @ctx but @ctx is
- * not running (inactive). See if @ctx handled @control or not, and cleanup
- * @control if it was not handled.
- *
- * Returns 0 if @control was handled by @ctx, negative error code otherwise.
- */
-static int damon_call_handle_inactive_ctx(
- struct damon_ctx *ctx, struct damon_call_control *control)
-{
- struct damon_call_control *c;
-
- mutex_lock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
- list_for_each_entry(c, &ctx->call_controls, list) {
- if (c == control) {
- list_del(&control->list);
- mutex_unlock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
- return -EINVAL;
- }
- }
- mutex_unlock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
- return 0;
-}
-
/**
* damon_call() - Invoke a given function on DAMON worker thread (kdamond).
* @ctx: DAMON context to call the function for.
@@ -1629,10 +1600,12 @@ int damon_call(struct damon_ctx *ctx, struct damon_call_control *control)
INIT_LIST_HEAD(&control->list);

mutex_lock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
+ if (ctx->call_controls_obsolete) {
+ mutex_unlock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
+ return -ECANCELED;
+ }
list_add_tail(&control->list, &ctx->call_controls);
mutex_unlock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
- if (!damon_is_running(ctx))
- return damon_call_handle_inactive_ctx(ctx, control);
if (control->repeat)
return 0;
wait_for_completion(&control->completion);
@@ -2939,6 +2912,9 @@ static void kdamond_init_ctx(struct damon_ctx *ctx)
damos_set_next_apply_sis(scheme, ctx);
damos_set_filters_default_reject(scheme);
}
+ mutex_lock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
+ ctx->call_controls_obsolete = false;
+ mutex_unlock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
}

/*
@@ -3062,6 +3038,9 @@ static int kdamond_fn(void *data)
damon_destroy_targets(ctx);

kfree(ctx->regions_score_histogram);
+ mutex_lock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
+ ctx->call_controls_obsolete = true;
+ mutex_unlock(&ctx->call_controls_lock);
kdamond_call(ctx, true);
damos_walk_cancel(ctx);

--
2.47.3