[PATCH 2/4] sched_ext: Take cgroup_lock() first in scx_cgroup_lock()

From: Tejun Heo

Date: Thu Jul 16 2026 - 17:31:54 EST


scx_cgroup_lock() write-locks scx_cgroup_ops_rwsem and then takes
cgroup_lock(), which can deadlock through kernfs:

scx enable/disable cgroup rmdir cpu.weight write
------------------ ------------ ----------------
cgroup_lock()
percpu_down_write(rwsem)
cgroup_lock()
kernfs_get_active()
percpu_down_read(rwsem)
kernfs_drain()

The enable path waits for the rmdir to release cgroup_mutex. The rmdir,
deactivating the cpu controller's files, waits in kernfs_drain() for the
write's active reference. The write, in scx_group_set_weight(), waits for
the rwsem behind the pending writer.

Take cgroup_lock() first. The set_* paths take no cgroup locks inside the
read side, so a pending write-lock then only waits for read sections that
always run to completion, and no dependency from the rwsem back to
cgroup_mutex remains.

Fixes: a5bd6ba30b33 ("sched_ext: Use cgroup_lock/unlock() to synchronize against cgroup operations")
Cc: stable@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx # v6.18+
Signed-off-by: Tejun Heo <tj@xxxxxxxxxx>
---
kernel/sched/ext/ext.c | 9 +++++++--
1 file changed, 7 insertions(+), 2 deletions(-)

diff --git a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
index 46f135bddd46..58898cd0727b 100644
--- a/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
+++ b/kernel/sched/ext/ext.c
@@ -4580,20 +4580,25 @@ static struct cgroup *root_cgroup(void)
return &cgrp_dfl_root.cgrp;
}

+/*
+ * cgroup_lock() must nest outside the rwsem write side: a writer waiting
+ * for cgroup_mutex deadlocks with cgroup teardown, which holds it while
+ * draining a set_* file write blocked on the rwsem behind the writer.
+ */
static void scx_cgroup_lock(void)
{
+ cgroup_lock();
#ifdef CONFIG_EXT_GROUP_SCHED
percpu_down_write(&scx_cgroup_ops_rwsem);
#endif
- cgroup_lock();
}

static void scx_cgroup_unlock(void)
{
- cgroup_unlock();
#ifdef CONFIG_EXT_GROUP_SCHED
percpu_up_write(&scx_cgroup_ops_rwsem);
#endif
+ cgroup_unlock();
}
#else /* CONFIG_EXT_GROUP_SCHED || CONFIG_EXT_SUB_SCHED */
static inline struct cgroup *root_cgroup(void) { return NULL; }
--
2.55.0