Re: [PATCH 2/2] fs: nfs: dir.c: Fix sparse error

[Paul E. McKenney]

On Fri, Dec 06, 2019 at 08:46:40PM +0530, madhuparnabhowmik04@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
> From: Madhuparna Bhowmik <madhuparnabhowmik04@xxxxxxxxx>
> 
> This patch fixes the following errors:
> fs/nfs/dir.c:2353:14: error: incompatible types in comparison expression (different address spaces):
> fs/nfs/dir.c:2353:14:    struct list_head [noderef] <asn:4> *
> fs/nfs/dir.c:2353:14:    struct list_head *
> 
> caused due to directly accessing the prev pointer of
> a RCU protected list.
> Accessing the pointer using the macro list_prev_rcu() fixes this error.
> 
> Signed-off-by: Madhuparna Bhowmik <madhuparnabhowmik04@xxxxxxxxx>
> ---
>  fs/nfs/dir.c | 2 +-
>  1 file changed, 1 insertion(+), 1 deletion(-)
> 
> diff --git a/fs/nfs/dir.c b/fs/nfs/dir.c
> index e180033e35cf..2035254cc283 100644
> --- a/fs/nfs/dir.c
> +++ b/fs/nfs/dir.c
> @@ -2350,7 +2350,7 @@ static int nfs_access_get_cached_rcu(struct inode *inode, const struct cred *cre
>  	rcu_read_lock();
>  	if (nfsi->cache_validity & NFS_INO_INVALID_ACCESS)
>  		goto out;
> -	lh = rcu_dereference(nfsi->access_cache_entry_lru.prev);
> +	lh = rcu_dereference(list_prev_rcu(&nfsi->access_cache_entry_lru));

And as noted in the earlier email, what is preventing concurrent
insertions into  and deletions from this list?

o	This use of list_move_tail() is OK because it does not poison.
	Though it isn't being all that friendly to lockless access to
	->prev -- no WRITE_ONCE() in list_move_tail().

o	The use of list_add_tail() is not safe with RCU readers, though
	they do at least partially compensate via use of smp_wmb()
	in nfs_access_add_cache() before calling nfs_access_add_rbtree().

o	The list_del() near the end of nfs_access_add_rbtree() will
	poison the ->prev pointer.  I don't see how this is safe given the
	possibility of a concurrent call to nfs_access_get_cached_rcu().

>  	cache = list_entry(lh, struct nfs_access_entry, lru);
>  	if (lh == &nfsi->access_cache_entry_lru ||
>  	    cred != cache->cred)

And a few lines below here, it really does dereference the pointer
obtained from ->prev!

So how to really fix this?  Here is one possibility, but we of course
need to get the NFS developers' and maintainers' thoughts:

o	Create a list that is safe for bidirectional RCU traversal.
	This can use list_head, and would need these functions,
	give or take the exact names:

	list_add_tail_rcuprev():  This is like list_add_tail_rcu(),
	but also has smp_store_release() for ->prev.  (As in there is
	also a __list_add_rcuprev() helper that actually contains the
	additional smp_store_release().)

	list_del_rcuprev():  This can be exactly __list_del_entry(),
	but with the assignment to ->prev in __list_del() becoming
	WRITE_ONCE().  And it looks like callers to __list_del_entry()
	and __list_del() might need some attention!  And these might
	result in additional users of *_rcuprev().

	list_prev_rcu() as in your first patch, but with READ_ONCE().
	Otherwise DEC Alpha can fail.  And more subtle compiler issues
	can appear on other architectures.

	Note that list_move_tail() will be OK give or take *_ONCE().
	It might be better to define a list_move_tail_rcuprev(), given
	the large number of users of list_move_tail() -- some of these
	users might not like even the possibility of added overhead due
	to volatile accesses.  ;-)

Or am I missing something subtle here?

							Thanx, Paul