[PATCH bpf-next v2 2/3] bpf: Remove now-defunct task kfuncs

From: David Vernet
Date: Fri Mar 31 2023 - 15:57:49 EST


In commit 22df776a9a86 ("tasks: Extract rcu_users out of union"), the
'refcount_t rcu_users' field was extracted out of a union with the
'struct rcu_head rcu' field. This allows us to safely perform a
refcount_inc_not_zero() on task->rcu_users when acquiring a reference on
a task struct. A prior patch leveraged this by making struct task_struct
an RCU-protected object in the verifier, and by bpf_task_acquire() to
use the task->rcu_users field for synchronization.

Now that we can use RCU to protect tasks, we no longer need
bpf_task_kptr_get(), or bpf_task_acquire_not_zero(). bpf_task_kptr_get()
is truly completely unnecessary, as we can just use RCU to get the
object. bpf_task_acquire_not_zero() is now equivalent to
bpf_task_acquire().

In addition to these changes, this patch also updates the associated
selftests to no longer use these kfuncs.

Signed-off-by: David Vernet <void@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/bpf/helpers.c | 69 ------------------
.../selftests/bpf/prog_tests/task_kfunc.c | 2 +-
.../selftests/bpf/progs/rcu_read_lock.c | 9 +--
.../selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_common.h | 1 -
.../selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_failure.c | 73 -------------------
.../selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_success.c | 22 +++---
6 files changed, 14 insertions(+), 162 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
index e71a4a54ce99..6be16db9f188 100644
--- a/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
+++ b/kernel/bpf/helpers.c
@@ -2019,73 +2019,6 @@ __bpf_kfunc struct task_struct *bpf_task_acquire(struct task_struct *p)
return NULL;
}

-/**
- * bpf_task_acquire_not_zero - Acquire a reference to a rcu task object. A task
- * acquired by this kfunc which is not stored in a map as a kptr, must be
- * released by calling bpf_task_release().
- * @p: The task on which a reference is being acquired.
- */
-__bpf_kfunc struct task_struct *bpf_task_acquire_not_zero(struct task_struct *p)
-{
- /* For the time being this function returns NULL, as it's not currently
- * possible to safely acquire a reference to a task with RCU protection
- * using get_task_struct() and put_task_struct(). This is due to the
- * slightly odd mechanics of p->rcu_users, and how task RCU protection
- * works.
- *
- * A struct task_struct is refcounted by two different refcount_t
- * fields:
- *
- * 1. p->usage: The "true" refcount field which tracks a task's
- * lifetime. The task is freed as soon as this
- * refcount drops to 0.
- *
- * 2. p->rcu_users: An "RCU users" refcount field which is statically
- * initialized to 2, and is co-located in a union with
- * a struct rcu_head field (p->rcu). p->rcu_users
- * essentially encapsulates a single p->usage
- * refcount, and when p->rcu_users goes to 0, an RCU
- * callback is scheduled on the struct rcu_head which
- * decrements the p->usage refcount.
- *
- * There are two important implications to this task refcounting logic
- * described above. The first is that
- * refcount_inc_not_zero(&p->rcu_users) cannot be used anywhere, as
- * after the refcount goes to 0, the RCU callback being scheduled will
- * cause the memory backing the refcount to again be nonzero due to the
- * fields sharing a union. The other is that we can't rely on RCU to
- * guarantee that a task is valid in a BPF program. This is because a
- * task could have already transitioned to being in the TASK_DEAD
- * state, had its rcu_users refcount go to 0, and its rcu callback
- * invoked in which it drops its single p->usage reference. At this
- * point the task will be freed as soon as the last p->usage reference
- * goes to 0, without waiting for another RCU gp to elapse. The only
- * way that a BPF program can guarantee that a task is valid is in this
- * scenario is to hold a p->usage refcount itself.
- *
- * Until we're able to resolve this issue, either by pulling
- * p->rcu_users and p->rcu out of the union, or by getting rid of
- * p->usage and just using p->rcu_users for refcounting, we'll just
- * return NULL here.
- */
- return NULL;
-}
-
-/**
- * bpf_task_kptr_get - Acquire a reference on a struct task_struct kptr. A task
- * kptr acquired by this kfunc which is not subsequently stored in a map, must
- * be released by calling bpf_task_release().
- * @pp: A pointer to a task kptr on which a reference is being acquired.
- */
-__bpf_kfunc struct task_struct *bpf_task_kptr_get(struct task_struct **pp)
-{
- /* We must return NULL here until we have clarity on how to properly
- * leverage RCU for ensuring a task's lifetime. See the comment above
- * in bpf_task_acquire_not_zero() for more details.
- */
- return NULL;
-}
-
/**
* bpf_task_release - Release the reference acquired on a task.
* @p: The task on which a reference is being released.
@@ -2375,8 +2308,6 @@ BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_push_back)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_pop_front, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_list_pop_back, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_task_acquire, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RCU | KF_RET_NULL)
-BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_task_acquire_not_zero, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_RCU | KF_RET_NULL)
-BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_task_kptr_get, KF_ACQUIRE | KF_KPTR_GET | KF_RET_NULL)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_task_release, KF_RELEASE)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_rbtree_remove, KF_ACQUIRE)
BTF_ID_FLAGS(func, bpf_rbtree_add)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/task_kfunc.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/task_kfunc.c
index 330133ece3f6..740d5f644b40 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/task_kfunc.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/prog_tests/task_kfunc.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ static const char * const success_tests[] = {
"test_task_acquire_release_current",
"test_task_acquire_leave_in_map",
"test_task_xchg_release",
- "test_task_get_release",
+ "test_task_map_acquire_release",
"test_task_current_acquire_release",
"test_task_from_pid_arg",
"test_task_from_pid_current",
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/rcu_read_lock.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/rcu_read_lock.c
index 6a8c88e58df2..14fb01437fb8 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/rcu_read_lock.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/rcu_read_lock.c
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ struct bpf_key *bpf_lookup_user_key(__u32 serial, __u64 flags) __ksym;
void bpf_key_put(struct bpf_key *key) __ksym;
void bpf_rcu_read_lock(void) __ksym;
void bpf_rcu_read_unlock(void) __ksym;
-struct task_struct *bpf_task_acquire_not_zero(struct task_struct *p) __ksym;
+struct task_struct *bpf_task_acquire(struct task_struct *p) __ksym;
void bpf_task_release(struct task_struct *p) __ksym;

SEC("?fentry.s/" SYS_PREFIX "sys_getpgid")
@@ -159,13 +159,8 @@ int task_acquire(void *ctx)
goto out;

/* acquire a reference which can be used outside rcu read lock region */
- gparent = bpf_task_acquire_not_zero(gparent);
+ gparent = bpf_task_acquire(gparent);
if (!gparent)
- /* Until we resolve the issues with using task->rcu_users, we
- * expect bpf_task_acquire_not_zero() to return a NULL task.
- * See the comment at the definition of
- * bpf_task_acquire_not_zero() for more details.
- */
goto out;

(void)bpf_task_storage_get(&map_a, gparent, 0, 0);
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_common.h b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_common.h
index bf0d1da9aff8..41f2d44f49cb 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_common.h
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_common.h
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ struct hash_map {
} __tasks_kfunc_map SEC(".maps");

struct task_struct *bpf_task_acquire(struct task_struct *p) __ksym;
-struct task_struct *bpf_task_kptr_get(struct task_struct **pp) __ksym;
void bpf_task_release(struct task_struct *p) __ksym;
struct task_struct *bpf_task_from_pid(s32 pid) __ksym;
void bpf_rcu_read_lock(void) __ksym;
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_failure.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_failure.c
index 63aef547da87..dcdea3127086 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_failure.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_failure.c
@@ -128,59 +128,6 @@ int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_acquire_unreleased, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_
return 0;
}

-SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
-__failure __msg("arg#0 expected pointer to map value")
-int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_get_non_kptr_param, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
-{
- struct task_struct *kptr;
-
- /* Cannot use bpf_task_kptr_get() on a non-kptr, even on a valid task. */
- kptr = bpf_task_kptr_get(&task);
- if (!kptr)
- return 0;
-
- bpf_task_release(kptr);
-
- return 0;
-}
-
-SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
-__failure __msg("arg#0 expected pointer to map value")
-int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_get_non_kptr_acquired, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
-{
- struct task_struct *kptr, *acquired;
-
- acquired = bpf_task_acquire(task);
- if (!acquired)
- return 0;
-
- /* Cannot use bpf_task_kptr_get() on a non-kptr, even if it was acquired. */
- kptr = bpf_task_kptr_get(&acquired);
- bpf_task_release(acquired);
- if (!kptr)
- return 0;
-
- bpf_task_release(kptr);
-
- return 0;
-}
-
-SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
-__failure __msg("arg#0 expected pointer to map value")
-int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_get_null, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
-{
- struct task_struct *kptr;
-
- /* Cannot use bpf_task_kptr_get() on a NULL pointer. */
- kptr = bpf_task_kptr_get(NULL);
- if (!kptr)
- return 0;
-
- bpf_task_release(kptr);
-
- return 0;
-}
-
SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
__failure __msg("Unreleased reference")
int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_xchg_unreleased, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
@@ -214,26 +161,6 @@ int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_acquire_release_no_null_check, struct task_struct *task,
return 0;
}

-SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
-__failure __msg("Unreleased reference")
-int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_get_unreleased, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
-{
- struct task_struct *kptr;
- struct __tasks_kfunc_map_value *v;
-
- v = insert_lookup_task(task);
- if (!v)
- return 0;
-
- kptr = bpf_task_kptr_get(&v->task);
- if (!kptr)
- return 0;
-
- /* Kptr acquired above is never released. */
-
- return 0;
-}
-
SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
__failure __msg("Possibly NULL pointer passed to trusted arg0")
int BPF_PROG(task_kfunc_release_untrusted, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
diff --git a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_success.c b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_success.c
index a75304a5e860..b09371bba204 100644
--- a/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_success.c
+++ b/tools/testing/selftests/bpf/progs/task_kfunc_success.c
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ int BPF_PROG(test_task_xchg_release, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
}

SEC("tp_btf/task_newtask")
-int BPF_PROG(test_task_get_release, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
+int BPF_PROG(test_task_map_acquire_release, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
{
struct task_struct *kptr;
struct __tasks_kfunc_map_value *v;
@@ -143,18 +143,18 @@ int BPF_PROG(test_task_get_release, struct task_struct *task, u64 clone_flags)
return 0;
}

- kptr = bpf_task_kptr_get(&v->task);
- if (kptr) {
- /* Until we resolve the issues with using task->rcu_users, we
- * expect bpf_task_kptr_get() to return a NULL task. See the
- * comment at the definition of bpf_task_acquire_not_zero() for
- * more details.
- */
- bpf_task_release(kptr);
+ bpf_rcu_read_lock();
+ kptr = v->task;
+ if (!kptr) {
err = 3;
- return 0;
+ } else {
+ kptr = bpf_task_acquire(kptr);
+ if (!kptr)
+ err = 4;
+ else
+ bpf_task_release(kptr);
}
-
+ bpf_rcu_read_unlock();

return 0;
}
--
2.39.0