[PATCH 1/7] sched/core: Fix pick_next_task() self recursion

From: Peter Zijlstra

Date: Fri Aug 28 2026 - 06:42:09 EST


It is possible for another sibling to end up in pick_next_task() when:

pick_next_task()
pick_task()
sched_class::pick_task()

drops the core wide rq->lock. In this case they end up trampling the core wide
task selection state, possibly leading to NULL derefs. Detect this case by
keeping a local copy of core_task_seq, a value that is incremented on
{en,de}queue and schedule.

Since RETRY_TASK is only possible when a higher priority task gets enqueued
during the lock break, this must mean core_task_seq will also be incremented
and is thus completely covered by the seq number mismatch.

XXX words on forward progress go here

Signed-off-by: Peter Zijlstra (Intel) <peterz@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/sched/core.c | 13 +++++++------
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 6 deletions(-)

--- a/kernel/sched/core.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/core.c
@@ -6232,14 +6232,14 @@ static struct task_struct *
pick_next_task(struct rq *rq, struct rq_flags *rf)
__must_hold(__rq_lockp(rq))
{
+ bool core_clock_updated = (rq == rq->core);
struct task_struct *next, *p, *max;
const struct cpumask *smt_mask;
+ int i, cpu, seq, occ = 0;
bool fi_before = false;
- bool core_clock_updated = (rq == rq->core);
+ bool need_sync = false;
unsigned long cookie;
- int i, cpu, occ = 0;
struct rq *rq_i;
- bool need_sync = false;

if (!sched_core_enabled(rq))
return __pick_next_task(rq, rf);
@@ -6314,7 +6314,7 @@ pick_next_task(struct rq *rq, struct rq_
* However, preemptions can cause multiple picks on the same task set.
* 'Fix' this by also increasing @task_seq for every pick.
*/
- rq->core->core_task_seq++;
+ seq = ++rq->core->core_task_seq;

/*
* Optimize for common case where this CPU has no cookies
@@ -6362,7 +6362,8 @@ pick_next_task(struct rq *rq, struct rq_
update_rq_clock(rq_i);

p = pick_task(rq_i, rf);
- if (unlikely(p == RETRY_TASK)) {
+ if (unlikely(seq != rq->core->core_task_seq ||
+ WARN_ON_ONCE(p == RETRY_TASK))) {
/* rq lock may have been dropped, clocks invalidated */
core_clock_updated = false;
if (!(rq->clock_update_flags & RQCF_UPDATED))
@@ -6392,7 +6393,7 @@ pick_next_task(struct rq *rq, struct rq_
if (cookie)
p = sched_core_find(rq_i, cookie);
if (!p)
- p = idle_sched_class.pick_task(rq_i, rf);
+ p = idle_sched_class.pick_task(rq_i, NULL);
}

rq_i->core_pick = p;