[PATCH v4 2/3] KVM: PPC: Book3S HV: Add preempt_disable() around virtual-mode HPTE bit-lock users

From: Amit Machhiwal

Date: Wed Oct 07 2026 - 14:23:14 EST


kvmppc_hv_find_lock_hpte() requires virtual-mode callers to run with
preemption disabled, because it can return with HPTE_V_HVLOCK still held
until the caller later unlocks the HPTE. Existing virtual-mode callers
in book3s_64_mmu_hv.c already follow that rule, but several paths do
not.

kvmppc_handle_exit_hv() calls kvmppc_hpte_hv_fault() for hash-mode
data-side and instruction-side faults after guest exit with preemption
enabled. kvmppc_pseries_do_hcall() executes virtual-mode HPT hcall
handlers via kvmppc_pseries_do_hpt_hcall() with preemption enabled; the
handlers for H_ENTER, H_REMOVE, H_READ, H_CLEAR_MOD, H_CLEAR_REF,
H_PROTECT, and H_BULK_REMOVE all spin on try_lock_hpte() or lock_rmap().
H_ENTER also reaches kvmppc_do_h_enter(), which uses arch_spin_lock() on
kvm->mmu_lock. That raw lock choice is intentional because
kvmppc_do_h_enter() is also called from real-mode paths, so the correct
fix is to establish the proper preemption context at the virtual-mode
caller boundary. kvm_htab_write(), the HPT migration restore path, also
called kvmppc_do_h_remove() directly with preemption enabled from two
sites: once in the n_valid loop to evict any occupied slot before
inserting a new HPTE, and once in the n_invalid loop to evict any
occupied slot that the restore marks as invalid. This was inconsistent:
the insert in the same function already used the guarded
kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_enter() helper.

On the host side, kvm_unmap_rmapp(), kvm_age_rmapp(),
kvm_test_clear_dirty_npages(), and resize_hpt_rehash_hpte() also acquire
HPTE_V_HVLOCK via try_lock_hpte() in process context with preemption
enabled, serving MMU notifier callbacks, dirty-log harvesting, and HPT
resize respectively.

If any of these threads is preempted while holding HPTE_V_HVLOCK, any
other thread on the same CPU spinning on the same bit-lock can never
make progress, as the lock owner cannot be rescheduled to release it.
This is particularly acute when the spinning thread has preemption
disabled: it will never yield, causing a permanent CPU hang.

Fix this by adding preempt_disable()/preempt_enable() pairs around the
two kvmppc_hpte_hv_fault() call sites in kvmppc_handle_exit_hv() and
around the kvmppc_pseries_do_hpt_hcall() invocation in
kvmppc_pseries_do_hcall().

For kvm_htab_write(), introduce kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_remove(), a thin
wrapper that brackets kvmppc_do_h_remove() with preempt_disable()/
preempt_enable(), mirroring the existing kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_enter()
pattern. The wrapper retains the full flags and avpn parameters so that
future virtual-mode callers can use the H_AVPN and H_ANDCOND conditional
guards if needed. Note that kvmppc_do_h_remove() spins on both
HPTE_V_HVLOCK and lock_rmap() (via remove_revmap_chain()); preemption
must be disabled across both bit-locks.

For kvm_unmap_rmapp() and kvm_age_rmapp(), place preempt_disable() before
lock_rmap() so that both the rmap chain lock and the subsequent
HPTE_V_HVLOCK bit-lock are held under a single non-preemptible window.
There is an ABBA ordering constraint between the two locks: the rmap chain
lock must be dropped before spinning on the HPTE bit-lock (documented in
the comment above the try_lock_hpte() call in kvm_unmap_rmapp()). To
preserve this, preempt_enable() is called after unlock_rmap() on the
failed try_lock_hpte() retry path and on any early-exit path, before the
cpu_relax() spin, so the HPTE lock owner can be scheduled.

For kvm_test_clear_dirty_npages(), remove the per-iteration
preempt_disable()/preempt_enable() pairs: this function has a single call
site, kvmppc_hv_get_dirty_log_hpt(), which already holds preempt_disable()
across the entire loop, making the inner guards redundant.

For resize_hpt_rehash_hpte(), place preempt_disable() before the
unconditional try_lock_hpte() spin loop and preempt_enable() after
unlock_hpte() at the single exit point. This function is called from
kvm_vm_ioctl_resize_hpt_commit(), which first quiesces all vCPUs by
clearing kvm->arch.mmu_ready and calling on_each_cpu() to flush any vCPU
currently running in guest mode back to host. With all vCPUs out of the
guest, no vCPU thread can hold HPTE_V_HVLOCK; any remaining lock holder
(an MMU notifier callback or dirty-log walker) runs on a separate CPU
and is not preempted, so the spin always makes forward progress.

Fixes: 6165d5dd99db ("KVM: PPC: Book3S HV: add virtual mode handlers for HPT hcalls and page faults")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx # v5.14+
Signed-off-by: Amit Machhiwal <amachhiw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Changes in v4:
- Introduced kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_remove(), a thin wrapper bracketing
kvmppc_do_h_remove() with preempt_disable()/preempt_enable(), mirroring
kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_enter(). Replaced both raw kvmppc_do_h_remove() call
sites in kvm_htab_write() with the new wrapper.
- Updated commit message to document the kvm_htab_write() fix.
- Dropped Reviewed-by from Shrikanth as the patch was materially extended.

arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_64_mmu_hv.c | 33 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++--
arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_hv.c | 10 +++++++++
2 files changed, 41 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_64_mmu_hv.c b/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_64_mmu_hv.c
index 2ccb3d138f46..e8f73c8f9780 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_64_mmu_hv.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_64_mmu_hv.c
@@ -47,6 +47,9 @@
static long kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_enter(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long flags,
long pte_index, unsigned long pteh,
unsigned long ptel, unsigned long *pte_idx_ret);
+static void kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_remove(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long flags,
+ unsigned long pte_index, unsigned long avpn,
+ unsigned long *hpret);

struct kvm_resize_hpt {
/* These fields read-only after init */
@@ -308,6 +311,22 @@ static long kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_enter(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long flags,

}

+/*
+ * Virtual-mode H_REMOVE. kvmppc_do_h_remove() is also called from real mode,
+ * where preempt_disable() is not usable, so the guard stays here. The function
+ * spins on HPTE_V_HVLOCK and then lock_rmap() (via remove_revmap_chain());
+ * preemption must be disabled across both bit-locks so that spinning callers
+ * holding preempt_disable() can make forward progress.
+ */
+static void kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_remove(struct kvm *kvm, unsigned long flags,
+ unsigned long pte_index, unsigned long avpn,
+ unsigned long *hpret)
+{
+ preempt_disable();
+ kvmppc_do_h_remove(kvm, flags, pte_index, avpn, hpret);
+ preempt_enable();
+}
+
static struct kvmppc_slb *kvmppc_mmu_book3s_hv_find_slbe(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
gva_t eaddr)
{
@@ -810,9 +829,11 @@ static void kvm_unmap_rmapp(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *memslot,

rmapp = &memslot->arch.rmap[gfn - memslot->base_gfn];
for (;;) {
+ preempt_disable();
lock_rmap(rmapp);
if (!(*rmapp & KVMPPC_RMAP_PRESENT)) {
unlock_rmap(rmapp);
+ preempt_enable();
break;
}

@@ -826,6 +847,7 @@ static void kvm_unmap_rmapp(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *memslot,
if (!try_lock_hpte(hptep, HPTE_V_HVLOCK)) {
/* unlock rmap before spinning on the HPTE lock */
unlock_rmap(rmapp);
+ preempt_enable();
while (be64_to_cpu(hptep[0]) & HPTE_V_HVLOCK)
cpu_relax();
continue;
@@ -834,6 +856,7 @@ static void kvm_unmap_rmapp(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *memslot,
kvmppc_unmap_hpte(kvm, i, memslot, rmapp, gfn);
unlock_rmap(rmapp);
__unlock_hpte(hptep, be64_to_cpu(hptep[0]));
+ preempt_enable();
}
}

@@ -890,6 +913,7 @@ static bool kvm_age_rmapp(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *memslot,

rmapp = &memslot->arch.rmap[gfn - memslot->base_gfn];
retry:
+ preempt_disable();
lock_rmap(rmapp);
if (*rmapp & KVMPPC_RMAP_REFERENCED) {
*rmapp &= ~KVMPPC_RMAP_REFERENCED;
@@ -897,6 +921,7 @@ static bool kvm_age_rmapp(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *memslot,
}
if (!(*rmapp & KVMPPC_RMAP_PRESENT)) {
unlock_rmap(rmapp);
+ preempt_enable();
return ret;
}

@@ -912,6 +937,7 @@ static bool kvm_age_rmapp(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *memslot,
if (!try_lock_hpte(hptep, HPTE_V_HVLOCK)) {
/* unlock rmap before spinning on the HPTE lock */
unlock_rmap(rmapp);
+ preempt_enable();
while (be64_to_cpu(hptep[0]) & HPTE_V_HVLOCK)
cpu_relax();
goto retry;
@@ -931,6 +957,7 @@ static bool kvm_age_rmapp(struct kvm *kvm, struct kvm_memory_slot *memslot,
} while ((i = j) != head);

unlock_rmap(rmapp);
+ preempt_enable();
return ret;
}

@@ -1219,6 +1246,7 @@ static unsigned long resize_hpt_rehash_hpte(struct kvm_resize_hpt *resize,
if (!(vpte & HPTE_V_VALID) && !(vpte & HPTE_V_ABSENT))
return 0; /* nothing to do */

+ preempt_disable();
while (!try_lock_hpte(hptep, HPTE_V_HVLOCK))
cpu_relax();

@@ -1346,6 +1374,7 @@ static unsigned long resize_hpt_rehash_hpte(struct kvm_resize_hpt *resize,

out:
unlock_hpte(hptep, vpte);
+ preempt_enable();
return ret;
}

@@ -1868,7 +1897,7 @@ static ssize_t kvm_htab_write(struct file *file, const char __user *buf,
nb += HPTE_SIZE;

if (be64_to_cpu(hptp[0]) & (HPTE_V_VALID | HPTE_V_ABSENT))
- kvmppc_do_h_remove(kvm, 0, i, 0, tmp);
+ kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_remove(kvm, 0, i, 0, tmp);
err = -EIO;
ret = kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_enter(kvm, H_EXACT, i, v, r,
tmp);
@@ -1897,7 +1926,7 @@ static ssize_t kvm_htab_write(struct file *file, const char __user *buf,

for (j = 0; j < hdr.n_invalid; ++j) {
if (be64_to_cpu(hptp[0]) & (HPTE_V_VALID | HPTE_V_ABSENT))
- kvmppc_do_h_remove(kvm, 0, i, 0, tmp);
+ kvmppc_virtmode_do_h_remove(kvm, 0, i, 0, tmp);
++i;
hptp += 2;
}
diff --git a/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_hv.c b/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_hv.c
index 46dd550115a4..56083b415a29 100644
--- a/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_hv.c
+++ b/arch/powerpc/kvm/book3s_hv.c
@@ -1159,6 +1159,10 @@ static long kvmppc_h_rpt_invalidate(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
return H_SUCCESS;
}

+/*
+ * Must be called with preemption disabled. The HPT hcall handlers spin
+ * on HPTE bit-locks and cannot make any blocking/sleeping calls.
+ */
static long kvmppc_pseries_do_hpt_hcall(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu, unsigned long req)
{
switch (req) {
@@ -1212,9 +1216,11 @@ int kvmppc_pseries_do_hcall(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu)
case H_CLEAR_REF:
case H_PROTECT:
case H_BULK_REMOVE:
+ preempt_disable();
idx = srcu_read_lock(&kvm->srcu);
ret = kvmppc_pseries_do_hpt_hcall(vcpu, req);
srcu_read_unlock(&kvm->srcu, idx);
+ preempt_enable();
if (ret == H_TOO_HARD)
return RESUME_HOST;
break;
@@ -1834,8 +1840,10 @@ static int kvmppc_handle_exit_hv(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
else
vsid = vcpu->arch.fault_gpa;

+ preempt_disable();
err = kvmppc_hpte_hv_fault(vcpu, vcpu->arch.fault_dar,
vsid, vcpu->arch.fault_dsisr, true);
+ preempt_enable();
if (err == 0) {
r = RESUME_GUEST;
} else if (err == -1 || err == -2) {
@@ -1881,8 +1889,10 @@ static int kvmppc_handle_exit_hv(struct kvm_vcpu *vcpu,
else
vsid = vcpu->arch.fault_gpa;

+ preempt_disable();
err = kvmppc_hpte_hv_fault(vcpu, vcpu->arch.fault_dar,
vsid, vcpu->arch.fault_dsisr, false);
+ preempt_enable();
if (err == 0) {
r = RESUME_GUEST;
} else if (err == -1) {
--
2.54.0 (Apple Git-157)