[PATCH] arm64: irqflags: Fix Pseudo-NMI state assertion failure during vpanic

From: Jinjie Ruan

Date: Mon Jul 13 2026 - 07:48:28 EST


When CONFIG_ARM64_DEBUG_PRIORITY_MASKING is enabled, triggering an LKDTM
HARDLOCKUP induces a warning at __pmr_local_irq_disable() inside
vpanic().

This occurs because a Pseudo-NMI interrupts the locked-up CPU and updates
ICC_PMR_EL1 to a transient composite state:
GIC_PRIO_IRQON | GICV3_PRIO_PSR_I_SET (0xf0).

Then, vpanic() unconditionally calls local_irq_disable(), triggering
the strict assertion which only expects pure IRQON or IRQOFF.

Fix this by expanding the debugging whitelist in __pmr_local_irq_disable()
to explicitly permit this valid Pseudo-NMI context flag where DAIF.IF is
set to prevent NMI nesting.

# echo HARDLOCKUP > /sys/kernel/debug/provoke-crash/DIRECT
lkdtm: Performing direct entry HARDLOCKUP
watchdog: CPU3: Watchdog detected hard LOCKUP on cpu 3
...

CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 219 Comm: sh Not tainted 7.2.0-rc1 #341 PREEMPT
Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT)
pstate: 00002005 (nzcv daif -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
pc : lkdtm_HARDLOCKUP+0x64/0x78
lr : lkdtm_HARDLOCKUP+0x64/0x78
sp : ffffffc080b33ac0
pmr: 000000c0
x29: ffffffc080b33ac0 x28: ffffff80c3d61ac0 x27: 0000000000000000
x26: 0000000000000000 x25: ffffff80c0f24800 x24: ffffff80c05495f0
x23: ffffffc080b33c30 x22: ffffffc080b33c30 x21: ffffffed82f60bb0
x20: 000000000000000b x19: ffffff80c339d000 x18: 0000000000000001
x17: 0000000000000000 x16: 0000000000000000 x15: 0000000000000028
x14: 0000000000000000 x13: 0000000000008000 x12: 0000000000000161
x11: ffffffed837fb000 x10: 0000000000000000 x9 : 0000000000000001
x8 : ffffffc080b339c8 x7 : ffffffc080b33ab0 x6 : ffffffc080b33a40
x5 : ffffffc080b33a28 x4 : ffffffc080b34000 x3 : 0000000000000000
x2 : 0000000100000000 x1 : 0000000100000000 x0 : 0000000000000001
Call trace:
lkdtm_HARDLOCKUP+0x64/0x78 (P)
lkdtm_do_action+0x1c/0x38
direct_entry+0xd0/0x164
full_proxy_write+0x6c/0xa8
vfs_write+0xd0/0x354
ksys_write+0x68/0xfc
__arm64_sys_write+0x1c/0x28
invoke_syscall+0x9c/0x10c
el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0x40/0xe8
do_el0_svc+0x20/0x2c
el0_svc+0x5c/0x44c
el0t_64_sync_handler+0xa0/0xe4
el0t_64_sync+0x1ac/0x1b0
Sending NMI from CPU 3 to CPUs 0-2,4-7:
...
------------[ cut here ]------------
WARNING: arch/arm64/include/asm/irqflags.h:63 at vpanic+0x3a8/0x574, CPU#3: sh/219
Modules linked in:
CPU: 3 UID: 0 PID: 219 Comm: sh Not tainted 7.2.0-rc1 #341 PREEMPT
Hardware name: linux,dummy-virt (DT)
pstate: 200020c5 (nzCv daIF -PAN -UAO -TCO -DIT -SSBS BTYPE=--)
pc : vpanic+0x3a8/0x574
lr : do_panic_on_target_cpu+0x0/0x1c
sp : ffffffc08001bb10
pmr: 000000f0
x29: ffffffc08001bb10 x28: 00000000000000f0 x27: 0000000000000003
x26: 0000000000000000 x25: ffffffed82b902f0 x24: ffffffed81cbba08
x23: ffffffed830e2000 x22: ffffffed830e21a0 x21: ffffffc08001bbc0
x20: ffffffed82b94078 x19: ffffffed8225fff8 x18: 00000000ffffffff
x17: 666f735f6f645f5f x16: 205d3e3832353031 x15: ffffffed83b5bf3b
x14: 0000000000000001 x13: ffffffed82bba668 x12: 0000000000000188
x11: 0000000000000498 x10: ffffffed82c2a650 x9 : 0000000100110001
x8 : ffffff80c3d61ac0 x7 : 0000000000000001 x6 : ffffffed81cbaca8
x5 : ffffffc080b33980 x4 : ffffffc08001bc50 x3 : 0000000000000001
x2 : ffffffed82b8f000 x1 : 00000000000000d0 x0 : 0000000000000001
Call trace:
vpanic+0x3a8/0x574 (P)
do_panic_on_target_cpu+0x0/0x1c
add_taint+0x0/0xbc
watchdog_hardlockup_check+0x32c/0x3f8
watchdog_overflow_callback+0x34/0x44
__perf_event_overflow+0xfc/0x4ec
perf_event_overflow+0x30/0xf4
armv8pmu_handle_irq+0x114/0x1fc
armpmu_dispatch_irq+0x2c/0x68
handle_percpu_devid_irq+0xd4/0x268
handle_irq_desc+0x40/0x58
generic_handle_domain_nmi+0x28/0x50
__gic_handle_nmi.constprop.0+0x4c/0xa0
gic_handle_irq+0x38/0x2bc
call_on_irq_stack+0x30/0x48
do_interrupt_handler+0x80/0x94
el1_interrupt+0x90/0xac
el1h_64_irq_handler+0x18/0x24
el1h_64_irq+0x80/0x84
lkdtm_HARDLOCKUP+0x64/0x78 (P)
lkdtm_do_action+0x1c/0x38
direct_entry+0xd0/0x164
full_proxy_write+0x6c/0xa8
vfs_write+0xd0/0x354
ksys_write+0x68/0xfc
__arm64_sys_write+0x1c/0x28
invoke_syscall+0x9c/0x10c
el0_svc_common.constprop.0+0x40/0xe8
do_el0_svc+0x20/0x2c
el0_svc+0x5c/0x44c
el0t_64_sync_handler+0xa0/0xe4
el0t_64_sync+0x1ac/0x1b0

Cc: catalin.marinas@xxxxxxx
Cc: will@xxxxxxxxxx
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Fixes: 48ce8f80f5901 ("arm64: irqflags: Introduce explicit debugging for IRQ priorities")
Signed-off-by: Jinjie Ruan <ruanjinjie@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
arch/arm64/include/asm/irqflags.h | 3 ++-
1 file changed, 2 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)

diff --git a/arch/arm64/include/asm/irqflags.h b/arch/arm64/include/asm/irqflags.h
index a8cb5a5c93b7..c5e3e9fe19a4 100644
--- a/arch/arm64/include/asm/irqflags.h
+++ b/arch/arm64/include/asm/irqflags.h
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ static __always_inline void __pmr_local_irq_disable(void)
{
if (IS_ENABLED(CONFIG_ARM64_DEBUG_PRIORITY_MASKING)) {
u32 pmr = read_sysreg_s(SYS_ICC_PMR_EL1);
- WARN_ON_ONCE(pmr != GIC_PRIO_IRQON && pmr != GIC_PRIO_IRQOFF);
+ WARN_ON_ONCE(pmr != GIC_PRIO_IRQON && pmr != GIC_PRIO_IRQOFF &&
+ pmr != (GIC_PRIO_IRQON | GICV3_PRIO_PSR_I_SET));
}

barrier();
--
2.34.1