[PATCH v3] block: annotate lockless task ioprio accesses

From: Nguyen Ngoc Thang

Date: Tue Oct 20 2026 - 08:52:54 EST


__get_task_ioprio() reads task->io_context and ioc->ioprio without
task_lock() when called on current, e.g. from init_sync_kiocb() on every
write. set_task_ioprio() can update both for another task at any time,
including the first publication of a new io_context. KCSAN reports it:

BUG: KCSAN: data-race in __kernel_write_iter / set_task_ioprio
value changed: 0x0000000000000000 -> 0xffff888109813730

A stale or torn value is harmless, a task simply gets the old or new
priority, but the compiler may tear or refetch the accesses and the
io_context fields must be visible before the pointer is.

The io_context itself needs no extra protection: only the owning task
drops it, in exit_io_context(), so it cannot be freed under a lockless
reader running as current.

Publish the pointer with smp_store_release(), read it with READ_ONCE()
(address dependency orders the ioprio load), and mark the ioprio
accesses.

Reported-by: syzbot+feeb9b5352b9ff89618a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Closes: https://syzkaller.appspot.com/bug?extid=feeb9b5352b9ff89618a
Signed-off-by: Nguyen Ngoc Thang <ngocthang2710.1999@xxxxxxxxx>
---
v3:
- Move the comment out of the declarations and reword it (Damien).
No code change.

v2:
- Document why no RCU is needed: only the owning task drops its io_context
(Damien). Comment in __get_task_ioprio() and a paragraph in the commit
message. No code change.
- v1: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20261018071636.79198-1-ngocthang2710.1999@xxxxxxxxx
- v2: https://lore.kernel.org/r/20261019125811.21666-1-ngocthang2710.1999@xxxxxxxxx

Tested with a KCSAN kernel in QEMU: 26 data-race reports per run before, 0
in two runs after (v1 code, later versions differ only in comments).
block/blk-ioc.c | 5 +++--
include/linux/ioprio.h | 11 +++++++++--
2 files changed, 12 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/block/blk-ioc.c b/block/blk-ioc.c
index d15918d7fabb..12ddc672f41d 100644
--- a/block/blk-ioc.c
+++ b/block/blk-ioc.c
@@ -277,9 +277,10 @@ int set_task_ioprio(struct task_struct *task, int ioprio)
if (task->io_context)
kmem_cache_free(iocontext_cachep, ioc);
else
- task->io_context = ioc;
+ /* Pairs with READ_ONCE() in __get_task_ioprio() */
+ smp_store_release(&task->io_context, ioc);
}
- task->io_context->ioprio = ioprio;
+ WRITE_ONCE(task->io_context->ioprio, ioprio);
out:
task_unlock(task);
return 0;
diff --git a/include/linux/ioprio.h b/include/linux/ioprio.h
index 5210e8371238..be999cbe7c91 100644
--- a/include/linux/ioprio.h
+++ b/include/linux/ioprio.h
@@ -56,9 +56,16 @@ static inline int task_nice_ioclass(struct task_struct *task)
*/
static inline int __get_task_ioprio(struct task_struct *p)
{
- struct io_context *ioc = p->io_context;
+ struct io_context *ioc;
int prio;

+ /*
+ * Only the current task itself drops its io_context, in
+ * exit_io_context(), so a non-NULL ioc is always valid. However,
+ * another task may change ->io_context or ioc->ioprio, so make sure
+ * to get the latest value with READ_ONCE().
+ */
+ ioc = READ_ONCE(p->io_context);
if (!ioc)
return IOPRIO_PRIO_VALUE(task_nice_ioclass(p),
task_nice_ioprio(p));
@@ -66,7 +73,7 @@ static inline int __get_task_ioprio(struct task_struct *p)
if (p != current)
lockdep_assert_held(&p->alloc_lock);

- prio = ioc->ioprio;
+ prio = READ_ONCE(ioc->ioprio);
if (IOPRIO_PRIO_CLASS(prio) == IOPRIO_CLASS_NONE)
prio = IOPRIO_PRIO_VALUE(task_nice_ioclass(p),
task_nice_ioprio(p));
--
2.43.0