Re: [RFC PATCH 1/8] mm/madvise: propagate vma->vm_end changes

From: Kirill A. Shutemov
Date: Mon Sep 27 2021 - 08:45:24 EST


On Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 05:33:39AM -0700, Nadav Amit wrote:
>
>
> > On Sep 27, 2021, at 4:55 AM, Kirill A. Shutemov <kirill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >
> > On Mon, Sep 27, 2021 at 03:11:20AM -0700, Nadav Amit wrote:
> >>
> >>> On Sep 27, 2021, at 2:08 AM, Kirill A. Shutemov <kirill@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> On Sun, Sep 26, 2021 at 09:12:52AM -0700, Nadav Amit wrote:
> >>>> From: Nadav Amit <namit@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >>>>
> >>>> The comment in madvise_dontneed_free() says that vma splits that occur
> >>>> while the mmap-lock is dropped, during userfaultfd_remove(), should be
> >>>> handled correctly, but nothing in the code indicates that it is so: prev
> >>>> is invalidated, and do_madvise() will therefore continue to update VMAs
> >>>> from the "obsolete" end (i.e., the one before the split).
> >>>>
> >>>> Propagate the changes to end from madvise_dontneed_free() back to
> >>>> do_madvise() and continue the updates from the new end accordingly.
> >>>
> >>> Could you describe in details a race that would lead to wrong behaviour?
> >>
> >> Thanks for the quick response.
> >>
> >> For instance, madvise(MADV_DONTNEED) can race with mprotect() and cause
> >> the VMA to split.
> >>
> >> Something like:
> >>
> >> CPU0 CPU1
> >> ---- ----
> >> madvise(0x10000, 0x2000, MADV_DONTNEED)
> >> -> userfaultfd_remove()
> >> [ mmap-lock dropped ]
> >> mprotect(0x11000, 0x1000, PROT_READ)
> >> [splitting the VMA]
> >>
> >> read(uffd)
> >> [unblocking userfaultfd_remove()]
> >>
> >> [ resuming ]
> >> end = vma->vm_end
> >> [end == 0x11000]
> >>
> >> madvise_dontneed_single_vma(vma, 0x10000, 0x11000)
> >>
> >> Following this operation, 0x11000-0x12000 would not be zapped.
> >
> > Okay, fair enough.
> >
> > Wouldn't something like this work too:
> >
> > diff --git a/mm/madvise.c b/mm/madvise.c
> > index 0734db8d53a7..0898120c5c04 100644
> > --- a/mm/madvise.c
> > +++ b/mm/madvise.c
> > @@ -796,6 +796,7 @@ static long madvise_dontneed_free(struct vm_area_struct *vma,
> > */
> > return -ENOMEM;
> > }
> > + *prev = vma;
> > if (!can_madv_lru_vma(vma))
> > return -EINVAL;
> > if (end > vma->vm_end) {
>
> Admittedly (embarrassingly?) I didn’t even consider it since all the
> comments say that once the lock is dropped prev should be invalidated.
>
> Let’s see, considering the aforementioned scenario and that there is
> initially one VMA between 0x10000-0x12000.
>
> Looking at the code from do_madvise()):
>
> [ end == 0x12000 ]
>
> tmp = vma->vm_end;
>
> [ tmp == 0x12000 ]
>
> if (end < tmp)
> tmp = end;
>
> /* Here vma->vm_start <= start < tmp <= (end|vma->vm_end). */
>
> error = madvise_vma(vma, &prev, start, tmp, behavior);
>
> [ prev->vm_end == 0x11000 after the split]
>
> if (error)
> goto out;
> start = tmp;
>
> [ start == 0x12000 ]
>
> if (prev && start < prev->vm_end)
> start = prev->vm_end;
>
> [ The condition (start < prev->vm_end) is false, start not updated ]
>
> error = unmapped_error;
> if (start >= end)
> goto out;
>
> [ start >= end; so we end without updating the second part of the split ]
>
> So it does not work.
>
> Perhaps adding this one on top of yours? I can test it when I wake up.
> It is cleaner, but I am not sure if I am missing something.

It should work.

BTW, shouldn't we bring madvise_willneed() and madvise_remove() to the
same scheme?

--
Kirill A. Shutemov