[PATCH 04/26] serial: core: Fix x_char race

[Peter Hurley]

The UART driver is expected to clear port->x_char after
transmission while holding the port->lock. However, the serial
core fails to take the port->lock before assigning port->xchar.
This allows for the following race

CPU 0                         |  CPU 1
                              |
                              | serial8250_handle_irq
                              |   ...
                              |   serial8250_tx_chars
                              |     if (port->x_char)
                              |       serial_out(up, UART_TX, port->x_char)
uart_send_xchar               |
  port->x_char = ch           |
                              |       port->x_char = 0
  port->ops->start_tx()       |
                              |

The x_char on CPU 0 will never be sent.

Take the port->lock in uart_send_xchar() before assigning port->x_char.

Signed-off-by: Peter Hurley <peter@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
 drivers/tty/serial/serial_core.c | 7 +++----
 1 file changed, 3 insertions(+), 4 deletions(-)

diff --git a/drivers/tty/serial/serial_core.c b/drivers/tty/serial/serial_core.c
index 87cde4c..a68bff0 100644
--- a/drivers/tty/serial/serial_core.c
+++ b/drivers/tty/serial/serial_core.c
@@ -596,12 +596,11 @@ static void uart_send_xchar(struct tty_struct *tty, char ch)
 	if (port->ops->send_xchar)
 		port->ops->send_xchar(port, ch);
 	else {
+		spin_lock_irqsave(&port->lock, flags);
 		port->x_char = ch;
-		if (ch) {
-			spin_lock_irqsave(&port->lock, flags);
+		if (ch)
 			port->ops->start_tx(port);
-			spin_unlock_irqrestore(&port->lock, flags);
-		}
+		spin_unlock_irqrestore(&port->lock, flags);
 	}
 }
 
-- 
2.1.0

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