[PATCH v4 08/12] riscv: add a data fence for CMODX in the kernel mode

From: Andy Chiu
Date: Mon Apr 07 2025 - 14:13:48 EST


RISC-V spec explicitly calls out that a local fence.i is not enough for
the code modification to be visble from a remote hart. In fact, it
states:

To make a store to instruction memory visible to all RISC-V harts, the
writing hart also has to execute a data FENCE before requesting that all
remote RISC-V harts execute a FENCE.I.

Although current riscv drivers for IPI use ordered MMIO when sending IPIs
in order to synchronize the action between previous csd writes, riscv
does not restrict itself to any particular flavor of IPI. Any driver or
firmware implementation that does not order data writes before the IPI
may pose a risk for code-modifying race.

Thus, add a fence here to order data writes before making the IPI.

Signed-off-by: Andy Chiu <andybnac@xxxxxxxxx>
Reviewed-by: Björn Töpel <bjorn@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
---
Changelog v4:
- Explain more in commit msg and add Björn's R-b
---
arch/riscv/mm/cacheflush.c | 15 ++++++++++++++-
1 file changed, 14 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/arch/riscv/mm/cacheflush.c b/arch/riscv/mm/cacheflush.c
index b81672729887..b2e4b81763f8 100644
--- a/arch/riscv/mm/cacheflush.c
+++ b/arch/riscv/mm/cacheflush.c
@@ -24,7 +24,20 @@ void flush_icache_all(void)

if (num_online_cpus() < 2)
return;
- else if (riscv_use_sbi_for_rfence())
+
+ /*
+ * Make sure all previous writes to the D$ are ordered before making
+ * the IPI. The RISC-V spec states that a hart must execute a data fence
+ * before triggering a remote fence.i in order to make the modification
+ * visable for remote harts.
+ *
+ * IPIs on RISC-V are triggered by MMIO writes to either CLINT or
+ * S-IMSIC, so the fence ensures previous data writes "happen before"
+ * the MMIO.
+ */
+ RISCV_FENCE(w, o);
+
+ if (riscv_use_sbi_for_rfence())
sbi_remote_fence_i(NULL);
else
on_each_cpu(ipi_remote_fence_i, NULL, 1);
--
2.39.3 (Apple Git-145)